Translation guide
A sudden, involuntary muscle contraction or a sudden burst of activity/emotion.
A sudden, painful, involuntary contraction of a muscle.
General medical term for a spasm, convulsion, or cramp. Can refer to both muscle spasms and seizures.
A sudden, brief, and intense outburst of an activity, emotion, or phenomenon.
A sudden attack or fit, used for medical conditions (e.g., coughing fit, asthma attack) or emotional outbursts.
A small, involuntary, repetitive movement of a muscle, often in the face or eyelid.
痙攣 is a broader term covering spasms, convulsions, and cramps. 攣り specifically refers to a muscle cramp, often in the calf or foot, and is more common in everyday conversation for that specific sensation.
In English, 'spasm' can describe a sudden burst of emotion (e.g., 'a spasm of anger'). In Japanese, 発作 (ほっさ) is the closest equivalent, but it may sound medical. For natural expression, consider rephrasing with adverbs like 突然 (とつぜん, suddenly) or 急に (きゅうに, abruptly).
足が痙攣した。
My leg cramped up.
運動中にふくらはぎが痙攣を起こした。
I got a cramp in my calf while exercising.
Common, everyday word for a muscle cramp, especially in the legs or feet. Often used as 足がつる.
足がつった！
I've got a cramp in my leg!
寝ているときに足がつることがある。
Sometimes I get leg cramps while sleeping.
A cramp or spasm, often with a nuance of twitching or being pulled tight. Can also describe a facial twitch.
顔の筋肉が引き攣っている。
The muscles in my face are twitching.
Technical/medical term for a muscle spasm. Less common in everyday speech.
筋痙攣の治療法について調べる。
I'm researching treatments for muscle spasms.
咳の発作が止まらない。
I can't stop this coughing spasm.
怒りの発作を抑える。
I suppress a spasm of anger.
A sudden, violent outburst, often used for emotions or conflicts. Slightly more literary.
感情の激発を経験する。
I experience a spasm of emotion.
A general pattern to describe something happening suddenly, like a spasm of activity. Replace 〜 with the noun.
笑いが急に起こった。
A spasm of laughter erupted.
Onomatopoeic word for a twitching or flickering movement. Very common for eyelid or muscle twitches.
まぶたがピクピクする。
My eyelid is twitching.
Can also be used for minor twitches, though it often implies a stronger spasm.
目の周りの筋肉が痙攣している。
The muscles around my eye are spasming.
Borrowed from English 'tic', used in medical contexts for tic disorders. Less common in casual speech.
チック症の症状が出ている。
I'm showing symptoms of a tic disorder.