Translation guide
The English phrase "ups and downs" refers to alternating periods of good and bad fortune, success and failure, or emotional highs and lows. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through several common words and phrases, each with slightly different nuances and contexts.
Describing the natural alternation of good and bad times in life, career, or circumstances.
The most direct and common equivalent. Literally 'floating and sinking', it refers to the ups and downs of life, emotions, or fortunes.
人生には浮き沈みがつきものだ。
Life is full of ups and downs.
He has extreme emotional ups and downs.
Literally 'there are mountains and there are valleys'. A vivid, somewhat proverbial expression for life's highs and lows.
結婚生活は山あり谷ありだ。
Married life has its ups and downs.
Literally 'waves', used metaphorically for fluctuations, especially in trends, popularity, or conditions.
景気には波がある。
The economy has its ups and downs.
Specifically referring to changes in mood or emotional state.
A four-character compound meaning alternating between joy and sorrow, or being elated one moment and worried the next. Often used for reacting to small changes.
小さなことで一喜一憂しないほうがいい。
You shouldn't get so caught up in the ups and downs of little things.
Literally 'emotional undulations'. A more formal or psychological term for mood swings or emotional instability.
彼女は感情の起伏が少ない。
She doesn't have many emotional ups and downs.
Referring to alternating periods of success and failure, especially in business or personal endeavors.
A four-character compound meaning the rise and fall of fortunes, the vicissitudes of life. Often used in a historical or grand context.
栄枯盛衰は世の常だ。
Ups and downs are the way of the world.
A shorter form of 栄枯盛衰, meaning rise and fall, prosperity and decline.
Describing literal upward and downward movement, such as in terrain or graphs.
Refers to undulations, rises and falls in terrain, or figuratively in emotions or situations.
この道は起伏が激しい。
This road has a lot of ups and downs.
A colloquial term for going up and down, often used for prices, temperatures, or physical movement.
浮き沈み is the most common and neutral way to say 'ups and downs' in daily conversation. 山あり谷あり is more colorful and often used in proverbs or encouraging speech. Both are natural, but 浮き沈み is safer for general use.
Do not translate 'ups and downs' literally as 上上下下 (うえうえしたした) or similar. These are not natural Japanese expressions.
企業の盛衰は激しい。
Companies go through dramatic ups and downs.
株価の上がり下がりが激しい。
Stock prices have wild ups and downs.