Common word› JLPT N3 › Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation ぼんやりする · noun or participle which takes 'suru'
Form Positive Negative Dictionary ぼんやりする ぼんやりしない Polite ぼんやりします ぼんやりしません Past polite ぼんやりしました ぼんやりしませんでした Past ぼんやりした ぼんやりしなかった Te-form ぼんやりして ぼんやりしないで Desire ぼんやりしたい ぼんやりしたくない Potential ぼんやりできる ぼんやりできない Passive ぼんやりされる ぼんやりされない Causative ぼんやりさせる ぼんやりさせない Causative passive ぼんやりさせられる ぼんやりさせられない Volitional ぼんやりしよう Polite volitional ぼんやりしましょう Imperative ぼんやりしろ ぼんやりするな Conditional ぼんやりすれば ぼんやりしなければ Tara conditional ぼんやりしたら ぼんやりしなかったら
Usage patterns ぼんやり ( と )〈 物もの 〉 が 見み える for something to be dimly/vaguely visible
The mountain was dimly visible through the fog.
ぼんやりしている to be absentminded, spaced out, not paying attention
I was zoning out during class and didn't hear what the teacher said.
ぼんやり ( と )〈 事こと 〉 を 覚おぼ えている to vaguely remember something
I vaguely remember things from my childhood.
ぼんやり ( と )〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 を 眺なが める to gaze blankly at somewhere
He was gazing blankly out the window.
ぼんやり ( と ) 過す ごす to spend time idly, without doing anything in particular
I spent the holiday idly, not doing anything in particular.
Related words· 11 漠然 is a more formal, literary word for something vague or ill-defined, while ぼんやり is the everyday word for something perceived dimly.
うっかり focuses on a momentary lapse or careless mistake, while ぼんやり describes a more prolonged state of mental fogginess or lack of focus.
ぼんやり and ぼーっと both describe a vacant, unfocused mental state, but ぼんやり tends to suggest a softer, more prolonged haziness while ぼーっと can feel more sudden or intense.
ぼんやり is the common word for being vague or absent-minded, while ヌーボー in this mimetic sense is a rarer, more literary way to describe the same fuzziness.
Show 7 more Show fewer ぼんやり describes a longer, hazier state of distraction, while ぽかん suggests a sudden, momentary blankness, often with a visibly slack expression.
もやもや suggests a murky, unsettled haze (often emotional), while ぼんやり emphasizes dimness, vagueness, or absent-mindedness without the sense of pent-up unease.
ぼんやり describes a vague, unfocused mental state, while うっとり (second sense) suggests a dreamy absorption rather than mere haziness.
ぼんやり is the common, everyday word for something vague or absent-minded, while 朦朧 is a literary term implying a heavier, more oppressive haziness.
ぼんやり is a general word for being vague, dim, or absent-minded, while 上の空 specifically means one's mind is elsewhere, often while someone is talking to you.
ぼんやり focuses on a vague, unfocused state of mind, whereas うかうか stresses careless inattention that can cause missed chances or mistakes.
ぼんやり is the common word for being vague or absentminded, while ぼやぼや emphasizes a lingering, sluggish inattentiveness often used when scolding someone.
Opposites はっきり means clearly or distinctly, the direct opposite of the vagueness described by ぼんやり .
ぼんやり describes something blurry or indistinct, the opposite of くっきり 's sharp, clear outline.
ぼんやり describes a vague, unfocused gaze or mind, the opposite of じっと 's intent, concentrated staring or listening.
Don't confuse with ぼうっと sounds similar and overlaps in meaning with ぼんやり but often implies staring blankly due to shock, heat, or fatigue, while ぼんやり is broader and more neutral.
呆然 describes being dazed or stunned, usually from shock or surprise, whereas ぼんやり describes ordinary absentmindedness without any triggering shock.
ぼんやり describes a vague or absentminded state (of mind or outline), while ぼやける specifically describes the process of losing sharpness or clarity.
Written forms ぼんやり Usage 95%
Standard hiragana spelling; the most common written form.
ボンヤリ Usage 5%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
Etymology An onomatopoeic or mimetic word (擬態語 ) whose exact origin is uncertain. The sound-symbolic combination ぼん (bon) and やり (yari) evokes a sense of haziness and lack of clarity.
Report an issue with this page
Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
