Translation guide
The act of displaying one's abilities, possessions, or qualities in a boastful or attention-seeking manner. Japanese has many nuanced expressions depending on what is being shown off and the speaker's attitude.
She is showing off her new dress.
To boast or flaunt oneself, often in a negative sense
A common verb meaning to show off or flaunt something, often with a negative connotation.
He is showing off his new car.
To boast or brag about something. Can be used for oneself or one's family/possessions.
She always boasts about her grades.
To flaunt or show off, often used for knowledge or status. Slightly more formal or literary.
To try to look good or show off, often by acting cool or stylish. Casual.
To display or show off, often used in formal or written contexts. Implies a deliberate demonstration of power or ability.
He showed off his power.
To flaunt physical attractiveness or fashion
To demonstrate one's talent or expertise in a boastful way
To show off one's skills, often in a performance or demonstration. Neutral to positive.
To flaunt money, luxury items, or status symbols
To act in a way that seeks attention, often immature
見せびらかす focuses on the visual display of something, while 自慢する is about boasting verbally. You can 自慢する without showing anything, but 見せびらかす usually involves a physical object or action.
He likes to flaunt his knowledge.
He tried to show off in front of the girls.
To show off or flaunt, often with a nuance of forcing someone to look. Can be used for body, clothes, or affection.
She is showing off her legs in a short skirt.
To expose or reveal, often used for showing skin or wearing revealing clothes. Can be neutral or negative.
She shows off too much skin.
Literally 'fashion boasting', used to describe someone who shows off their clothes or style.
Her Instagram is full of showing off her fashion.
He showed off his cooking skills.
To show something with a boastful air. Emphasizes the attitude.
He boastfully showed off his new guitar skills.
As above, to flaunt knowledge or skills, often with a negative nuance.
He flaunts his language skills.
The most common verb for showing off material possessions.
He is showing off his luxury watch.
Boasting about being rich. Often used as a noun phrase.
His stories are always showing off his wealth.
To flaunt luxury, emphasizing the extravagance.
They show off their luxurious lifestyle.
To get carried away and show off, often after receiving praise. Implies overconfidence.
When praised, he gets carried away and just shows off.
To want to stand out or be the center of attention. Describes a personality trait.
He is a show-off (lit. someone who wants to stand out).
To act like a good kid or show off one's goodness, often used for children or childish adults.
He is showing off in front of the teacher (acting like a good kid).
He boasts about his salary but doesn't show off his money.
The English phrase 'showing off' cannot be directly translated into a single Japanese word in all contexts. Using 見せる (to show) alone is insufficient. Choose the appropriate verb based on what is being shown off and the nuance.