Translation guide
How to express the action of spitting in Japanese, including spitting out food, spitting on the ground, and related phrases.
Expelling food, liquid, or an object from the mouth, often because it's unpleasant or unwanted.
General verb for spitting something out. Can be used for food, liquid, or even words/emotions.
まずいので、食べ物を吐き出した。
I spat out the food because it tasted bad.
彼は口の中の水を吐き出した。
He spat out the water in his mouth.
Can mean to spit, vomit, or emit. Context clarifies. Often used for spitting out saliva or phlegm.
Can also mean 'to vomit', so context is important.
道に唾を吐いてはいけません。
Don't spit on the street.
Onomatopoeic expression for spitting something out with a 'ptooey' sound. Emphasizes the action.
彼は種をぺっと吐き出した。
He spat out the seeds with a 'ptooey'.
Spitting saliva or phlegm onto the ground, often as a rude or casual act.
Standard phrase for spitting saliva. Often used in prohibitions or descriptions of rude behavior.
公共の場で唾を吐くのはやめましょう。
Let's not spit in public places.
彼は怒って地面に唾を吐いた。
He spat on the ground in anger.
Specifically spitting phlegm. More specific than 唾を吐く.
風邪をひいて痰を吐く。
I have a cold and am coughing up phlegm.
Describing very light rain or snow, often starting or stopping.
Describes rain starting to fall in scattered drops. Equivalent to 'spitting' rain.
雨がぽつぽつ降り始めた。
It started spitting with rain.
Literally 'light rain falls'. More general than spitting, but can be used for very light rain.
小雨が降っているから傘はいらない。
It's only spitting, so I don't need an umbrella.
Expressing that someone looks exactly like someone else.
Means 'spitting image' or 'living copy'. Used for strong resemblance.
彼は父親の生き写しだ。
He is the spitting image of his father.
Means 'exactly alike'. Can be used for resemblance, often with に似ている.
The verb 吐く (はく) can mean both 'to spit' and 'to vomit'. Use 吐き出す (はきだす) or specify 唾 (つば) for clarity when referring to spitting saliva.
吐き気がして吐いた。
I felt nauseous and vomited.
唾を吐いた。
I spat.
彼女は母親にそっくりだ。
She is the spitting image of her mother.