Translation guide
Describes something swollen, inflated, or figuratively proud. Covers physical puffiness (like a swollen face or puffed rice) and emotional states (like being puffed up with pride).
彼の頬が膨らんでいた。
His cheek was puffed up.
Past tense of 腫れる (to swell), specifically for body parts due to injury or illness. Use this for puffy eyes, swollen ankles, etc.
Onomatopoeic adverb/noun describing something stretched tight or bulging, like a full stomach or a puffed-up bag.
お腹がぱんぱんだ。
My stomach is puffed up (full).
袋がぱんぱんに膨らんでいる。
The bag is puffed up tight.
Past tense of 膨張する (to expand). More technical, used for materials expanding due to heat or pressure, or abstract expansion.
金属が熱で膨張した。
The metal puffed up from the heat.
Describing someone who is full of pride, often in a negative or showy way.
An adjective meaning 'looking proud/pleased with oneself'. Often used for someone puffed up after a success.
彼は得意げな顔をしている。
He has a puffed-up look on his face.
彼女は賞をもらって得意げだった。
She was puffed up after receiving the award.
Past tense of 威張る (to be arrogant/domineering). Implies a puffed-up attitude of superiority.
彼はいつも威張っている。
He's always puffed up with arrogance.
Idiom meaning 'to get a big head' or 'be puffed up with pride', literally 'becoming a tengu' (a mythical boastful creature).
成功して天狗になるな。
Don't get all puffed up just because you succeeded.
Describing light, airy foods like puffed rice or puffed pastry.
Loanword from English 'puff', used in food contexts like パフライス (puffed rice) or パフペストリー (puff pastry). Often part of a compound.
パフライスは軽い食感だ。
Puffed rice has a light texture.
Same as the physical swelling word, but used for foods that have risen or puffed up during cooking.
このパイはよくふくらんでいる。
This pie is nicely puffed up.
Avoid directly translating 'puffed up' as 膨らんだ when referring to pride. Use 得意げ or 威張った instead. 膨らんだ for a person would mean physically swollen.
彼は膨らんでいる。
He is swollen (physically).
Don't act all puffed up.