言いい淀よどむ

い

よ

ど

む

Meanings

1

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

hesitate to say; falter in speech; hem and haw

Describes the moment when someone pauses, stumbles, or struggles to find the right words while speaking, often due to embarrassment, uncertainty, or reluctance.

彼かれは真しん実じつを言いい淀よどんだ。
He hesitated to tell the truth.
面めん接せつで答こたえ

に

詰つ

まっ

て

、

何なん

度ど

も

言い

い

淀よど

ん

で

しまっ

た

。

I got stuck for an answer during the interview and kept faltering.

Written forms

言いい淀よどむUsage28%
Standard kanji spelling.
言いいよどむUsage49%
Kana-mixed spelling; common in less formal writing.
いいよどむUsage17%
言いい澱よどむUsage6%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; 澱 is not a standard Jōyō kanji.

Kanji

言say, word
淀pool, eddy
澱sediment, grounds, dregs

Similar words

口くちごもる
口ごもる also means to hesitate or mumble, but often implies muttering under one's breath or trailing off, while 言い淀む focuses more on the pause or struggle to articulate.
どもる
どもる means to stutter or stammer as a speech impediment or repeated sound, whereas 言い淀む is about hesitating or faltering in word choice, not necessarily a stutter.

Etymology

Compound of 言い (the continuative form of 言う 'to say') and 淀む ('to stagnate, to be blocked'). Literally 'to have one's speech stagnate'.