Translation guide
To speak with involuntary pauses and repetitions, often due to a speech disorder or nervousness.
Describing the act of speaking with a stammer or stutter, often as a characteristic or condition.
The most common and direct verb for 'to stammer' or 'to stutter'. Used for both temporary and chronic stammering.
He stammers when he's nervous.
I used to stammer a lot as a child.
Noun meaning 'stammering' or 'stuttering' as a speech disorder. Often used in medical or formal contexts.
I am receiving treatment for stammering.
Noun form of 吃る, meaning 'a stammer' or 'stammering'. Can refer to the condition or an instance.
His stammer got worse.
Producing speech with hesitation, often due to nervousness or emotion, not necessarily a chronic condition.
To hesitate or falter in speech, to mumble or stammer. Often implies reluctance or embarrassment.
He stammered when asked his name.
To be at a loss for words, to falter. Describes the moment of being unable to speak smoothly.
I stammered at the sudden question.
Literally 'to say while stammering'. Used when you want to explicitly describe the manner of speaking.
He stammered an apology.
Temporary stammering caused by a specific situation, like stage fright or surprise.
To be nervous or have stage fright, often resulting in stammering or freezing up. Very common in performance contexts.
I got nervous during the speech and couldn't speak well (stammered).
To panic or get flustered, which can cause stammering. Often used when someone is caught off guard.
吃る (domoru) is the standard verb for stammering as a speech pattern or disorder. 口ごもる (kuchigomoru) implies hesitation or mumbling, often due to reluctance or embarrassment, and may not involve actual repetition of sounds. Use 吃る for clinical or habitual stammering, and 口ごもる for faltering speech in social situations.
English sometimes distinguishes 'stammer' (hesitations) and 'stutter' (repetitions), but Japanese uses 吃る for both. There is no separate common word for 'stutter'.
急に話を振られて慌てて、言葉が出てこなかった。
I was suddenly called on and panicked, and the words wouldn't come out (I stammered).