Translation guide
The English word 'undulation' refers to a wavelike motion or form. In Japanese, there is no single everyday equivalent; instead, different words and phrases are used depending on whether you mean a physical wave, a flowing movement, or a visual pattern.
Describing something that moves in a smooth, rising and falling manner, like waves on water or a snake's body.
Common word for a gentle, rolling wave or swell, often used for the sea, land, or a snake's movement.
The undulation of the sea is large.
The snake moves forward with undulations.
Verb meaning 'to undulate' or 'to wave', often used for surfaces like water, fields, or fabric.
The lake surface is undulating in the wind.
Technical term for wave motion, used in physics or figurative contexts. Not for everyday description.
Sound travels as undulations in the air.
Describing something that has a wavy shape or appearance, such as lines, hair, or terrain.
Means 'wavy' or 'undulating' as a shape, often used in compounds like 波状の (wavy) or 波状雲 (undulating clouds).
The road has an undulating form.
undulating hair
Refers to ups and downs, undulations in terrain or a graph. Often used for hills or emotional changes.
Onomatopoeic adverb describing a winding, undulating shape, often used for roads or rivers.
Describing a smooth, wavelike motion, often in dance, gymnastics, or the movement of cloth.
English 'undulation' is often used in literary or technical contexts. In everyday Japanese, it's more natural to describe the specific type of wave or movement rather than using a single abstract noun.
This area is rich in undulations.
うねうねした道
an undulating road