Translation guide
The English word "swallow" has two main meanings: the physical action of swallowing food or drink, and the bird. This guide covers both, with a focus on natural Japanese expressions.
Expressing the physical action of making something go down the throat
The most common and general verb for swallowing. It can be used for food, drink, pills, etc. It also has figurative uses like 'to swallow one's pride' or 'to understand/accept'.
I swallowed the medicine with water.
He swallowed his pride and apologized.
Literally 'to drink', but often used for swallowing pills or liquid medicine. It can also mean 'to swallow' in the sense of taking medicine orally. Not used for solid food unless it's something like a pill.
Do not use 飲む for swallowing solid food; use 飲み込む or 食べる instead.
Please take (swallow) this medicine three times a day.
A medical/technical term for swallowing. Used in clinical contexts or formal writing.
Patients with swallowing difficulties need special meals.
Referring to the small migratory bird with a forked tail
The standard word for the swallow bird. Often written in katakana as ツバメ, but kanji 燕 is also used.
In spring, swallows come to build nests.
The kanji for swallow. Used in literature or formal contexts, but ツバメ is more common in everyday writing.
Expressing gullibility or uncritical acceptance
Literally 'to swallow whole like a cormorant'. Means to accept something without questioning, often used negatively.
Don't swallow his story whole.
To take something seriously or believe it as true, often when it's not. Similar to 'swallow' in the sense of believing a lie.
Expressing the act of not saying or showing something
飲み込む (nomikomu) is the general verb for swallowing, while 飲む (nomu) primarily means 'to drink'. Use 飲む for taking liquid medicine or pills, but for swallowing food or other objects, 飲み込む is more appropriate.
When referring to the bird, do not use 飲み込む or any verb related to swallowing. The bird is always ツバメ or 燕.
Swallow nests are said to bring good luck.
冗談を真に受けて怒った。
He swallowed the joke and got angry.
She swallowed her anger and spoke calmly.