Translation guide
The act of combining substances, people, or ideas. In Japanese, different words are used depending on what is being mixed and how.
To physically stir or blend things together to form a uniform mixture.
General verb for mixing ingredients, liquids, etc. Transitive.
Mix flour and eggs.
Intransitive; things mix or get mixed. Often used when substances combine naturally or without specifying an agent.
To stir or agitate while mixing, often with a utensil.
To bring different types of people together, or for people to mingle.
To interact, exchange, or mingle, especially between groups or cultures. Formal.
To combine sound sources or adjust audio levels.
To mistake one thing for another or fail to distinguish.
To confuse or mix up two things in one's mind. Formal.
混ぜる (transitive) is used when someone actively mixes things. 混ざる (intransitive) describes things mixing on their own or being mixed without focusing on the agent.
He mixed the paints.
Mix paints to create a new color.
油と水は混ざらない。
Oil and water don't mix.
Stir the soup.
I had a chance to mingle with international students.
Can be used for people mixing in a group, but may sound like they are physically blending. Use with care.
May imply a lack of order or distinction; 交流する is safer for social interaction.
Various people were mixing at the party.
To associate or mix with people, often in a deeper or more intimate sense. Can be literary.
He doesn't mix much with people.
Can be used for mixing audio tracks, but ミックスする is more technical.
Mix audio.
It's easy to mix up similar words.
To become jumbled or mixed up in a messy way. Casual.
The documents got all mixed up.
The paints got mixed.
While 混ざる can sometimes describe people mingling, 混ぜる is rarely used for people because it implies physically stirring them. Use 交流する or other social verbs instead.