Translation guide
The English verb 'vibrate' covers a range of shaking, trembling, and oscillating motions. In Japanese, different words are used depending on what is vibrating, how it vibrates, and the context. This guide helps you choose the most natural expression.
My smartphone vibrated.
The engine's vibration is transmitted to the steering wheel.
Often used for large-scale shaking like earthquakes or explosions. Can overlap with 振動する but implies a more violent or widespread tremor.
The ground vibrated from the explosion.
Primarily means 'tremble' or 'shiver' for living things, but can poetically describe objects shaking as if trembling.
The window glass vibrated as if trembling.
To describe a voice, musical note, or sound that resonates or quivers.
Means 'to resonate' or 'to echo'. Used when a sound fills a space or vibrates in the air.
His voice vibrated throughout the room.
Describes a voice that trembles or quivers, often due to emotion.
Can be used technically for sound waves or vocal cord vibration, but less common in everyday speech.
The vocal cords vibrate to produce sound.
To describe a feeling of excitement, tension, or energy that seems to 'vibrate' in the air or in a person.
Used figuratively for a person trembling with emotion, or a voice quivering.
My body vibrated with excitement.
A set phrase meaning 'the air vibrates' with tension or emotion.
The air vibrated with tension.
Means 'to sway' or 'to waver', but can be used figuratively for emotions or atmosphere.
To describe something like a pendulum, string, or electronic signal that moves regularly back and forth.
振動する (shindō suru) is the most common for mechanical vibration. 震動する (shindō suru) is used for large-scale shaking like earthquakes. 震える (furueru) is for trembling of living things or voices, and can be used figuratively.
The smartphone vibrated.
The ground vibrated from the earthquake.
My body trembled from the cold.
In many cases, English 'vibrate' is better expressed with a more specific Japanese verb. For example, a phone 'vibrates' is 振動する, but a voice 'vibrates' with emotion is 震える, and a sound 'vibrates' through a room is 響く. Using 振動する for everything can sound unnatural.
彼女の声は怒りで震えていた。
Her voice vibrated with anger.
His heart vibrated with joy.
The pendulum is vibrating/swinging.