Translation guide
How to express 'stumble' in Japanese, covering physical tripping, speech disfluency, and metaphorical mistakes.
To trip or nearly fall while walking or running.
The most common verb for tripping over something or stumbling while walking. Often used with に to indicate the obstacle.
I stumbled over a stone.
He stumbled over nothing.
To stagger or lose one's balance, often without falling. Emphasizes the unsteady movement.
I stumbled drunkenly.
Literally 'kick and stumble'. More specific than つまずく, often used when the foot hits something.
I stumbled on a step.
To hesitate, stutter, or make mistakes while speaking.
To be at a loss for words, to falter in speech. Often due to emotion or difficulty.
I stumbled over my words from nervousness.
To stutter or stammer. Can be a speech impediment or temporary.
Literally 'tongue doesn't turn', meaning to be tongue-tied or unable to speak smoothly.
To make an error, fail, or experience a difficulty in a process or life.
Metaphorically, to stumble in life or work, to hit a snag. Same verb as physical stumbling.
To fail or make a mistake. More direct than つまずく, often used for clear failures.
I stumbled during the presentation.
To suffer a setback or frustration, often in pursuing a goal. Stronger than つまずく.
He stumbled in his dreams.
To find or encounter something unexpectedly.
To find by chance. The most straightforward way to express 'stumble upon'.
I stumbled upon an old photo.
To encounter unexpectedly or by chance. Often used for people or things.
To happen upon, often with a nuance of an unexpected encounter, sometimes unpleasant.
I stumbled upon an incident.
つまずく implies tripping over an obstacle, while よろける focuses on the unsteady motion, often without an external cause. つまずく is also used metaphorically for setbacks.
While つまずく can be used metaphorically for mistakes, it is not natural for speech disfluency. Use 言葉に詰まる or どもる instead.
彼は緊張するとどもる。
He stumbles over his words when nervous.
I stumbled over my words due to nerves.
Sometimes you stumble in life.
I stumbled upon an old friend in town.