Translation guide
The English verb 'ooze' has two core meanings: (1) a liquid slowly seeping out, and (2) a person or thing exuding a quality or feeling strongly. Japanese uses different verbs for these, and the second meaning often requires figurative expressions.
Describing a thick liquid, mud, or moisture slowly flowing or leaking out from something.
Most common and natural for liquids oozing out gradually, like water, blood, or sap. Intransitive.
Blood is oozing from the wound.
Water was oozing out of the wall.
Similar to にじみ出る but often implies soaking through a surface, like moisture seeping through cloth or paper. Intransitive.
Sweat is oozing through the shirt.
Often used for liquid, color, or smell seeping out and spreading. Can be transitive or intransitive.
Ink oozed into the paper.
Technical/medical term for exudation or oozing of bodily fluids. Used in formal or scientific contexts.
Exudate is oozing from the wound.
Describing a person, place, or thing that seems to radiate a particular quality, like confidence, charm, or menace, often in a way that feels overwhelming or very noticeable.
Figurative use of にじみ出る. The quality naturally seeps out from the person or thing. Often used with abstract nouns like 自信 (confidence) or 優しさ (kindness).
Confidence oozed from his words.
Kindness oozes from her smile.
Literally 'to let (a quality) drift/hang in the air'. Used when someone intentionally or unintentionally exudes an atmosphere or feeling, often negative like menace or sadness.
Means 'to be overflowing with (a quality)'. Stronger than ooze, but often used in similar contexts for positive qualities.
She oozes charm.
Colloquial, meaning 'completely exposed/showing'. Used when someone blatantly displays a quality, often negative, like arrogance or greed. Rough nuance.
He just oozes greed.
You cannot say 彼は自信がにじみ出ている (He is oozing confidence) with the person as the subject. Instead, the quality itself is the subject, and the source is marked with から (from). Use 彼から自信がにじみ出ている.
Confidence oozes from him.
にじみ出る emphasizes the gradual emergence of liquid, often from a specific point. しみ出る emphasizes soaking through a material. For figurative use, only にじみ出る is common.
Blood oozed from the cut.
The old house oozed charm.
He oozes a dangerous aura.
The room oozed sadness.