Translation guide
The act of calming, subduing, or bringing peace to a person, group, or area, often through force, negotiation, or appeasement.
To calm someone down, soothe anger or agitation, or pacify a person or crowd.
To soothe or calm someone who is upset or angry, often through gentle words or actions.
彼女は泣いている子供をなだめた。
She pacified the crying child.
怒っている客をなだめるのに苦労した。
I had a hard time pacifying the angry customer.
To calm or quell strong emotions, pain, or unrest. Often used for internal feelings or abstract disturbances.
彼は怒りを鎮めることができなかった。
He couldn't pacify his anger.
音楽が彼女の不安を鎮めた。
The music pacified her anxiety.
Same as なだめる but written with kanji. More formal or literary.
宥める言葉をかけた。
I offered pacifying words.
To bring a rebellious area or group under control, often by force or authority.
To suppress or quell a riot, rebellion, or uprising, typically by force.
政府は反乱を鎮圧するために軍隊を派遣した。
The government sent troops to pacify the rebellion.
警察が暴動を鎮圧した。
The police pacified the riot.
To pacify and bring peace to a region, often through military conquest or governance. Implies a more lasting settlement.
将軍はその地域を平定した。
The general pacified the region.
To overpower and bring under control, often used in military or police contexts.
特殊部隊がテロリストを制圧した。
The special forces pacified the terrorists.
To pacify a person or country by giving in to demands, often to avoid conflict.
To win over or pacify someone by persuasion, concessions, or appeasement, often in political contexts.
政府は反対派を懐柔しようとした。
The government tried to pacify the opposition.
To appease or conciliate, often used in international relations. Implies a policy of making concessions to maintain peace.
宥和政策は時に侵略を招く。
A policy of pacification sometimes invites aggression.
To humor or placate someone, often in a personal or informal context. Literally 'take someone's mood'.
To calm a crying or fussy baby.
To soothe or pacify a baby by rocking, talking, or playing with them.
赤ちゃんをあやして寝かしつけた。
I pacified the baby and put him to sleep.
To make a baby stop crying. A more direct expression.
どうやって赤ちゃんを泣き止ませたらいいですか？
How can I pacify the baby?
The English word 'pacification' is often used in formal or military contexts. In Japanese, the appropriate word depends heavily on the situation. Using 鎮圧する for calming a person would sound unnatural and overly aggressive.
なだめる is used for calming people through gentle actions, while 鎮める is more for suppressing emotions or abstract unrest. 鎮める can also be used for calming physical pain or natural phenomena.
上司の機嫌を取るためにコーヒーを買った。
I bought coffee to pacify my boss.