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法螺を吹く (ほらをふく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-ku)
boast ; brag ; talk big
Colloquial expression for exaggerating one's own achievements or abilities, often in a playful or obvious way. Literally 'to blow a conch shell', implying making a loud, empty noise.
い
て
も
誰だれ
も
信しん
じ
ない
よ
。
No one will believe you even if you talk big like that.
Written forms 法ほ 螺ら を 吹ふ く
Standard kanji spelling; 法螺 is a somewhat uncommon kanji but is the conventional representation for this idiom.
ホラを 吹ふ く
Katakana spelling of 法螺, often used for emphasis or in casual writing.
Kanji 螺 small, edible, helical fresh-water mollusk Similar words 自じ 慢まん する 自慢する is a more general and neutral term for boasting or taking pride in something, while 法螺を吹く implies telling tall tales or exaggerating, often with a humorous or critical nuance.
大たい 言げん 壮そう 語ご 大言壮語 is a formal, literary expression for grandiloquence or bombastic speech, whereas 法螺を吹く is a colloquial idiom for everyday bragging.
Etymology Literally 'to blow a conch shell (法螺)'. The conch shell was historically used as a horn, and blowing it produces a loud, resonant sound. The idiom likens empty boasting to making a big noise without substance.
