Translation guide
How to express 'embellish' in Japanese, covering physical decoration, storytelling exaggeration, and metaphorical enhancement.
To make an object, space, or surface more attractive by adding decorative elements.
General verb for decorating, adorning, or displaying something. Works for rooms, objects, and personal appearance.
部屋を花で飾った。
I decorated the room with flowers.
彼女はドレスをリボンで飾った。
She embellished her dress with ribbons.
More formal or technical term for decorating, often used for interior design, architecture, or artistic embellishment.
教会の内部は美しく装飾されていた。
The interior of the church was beautifully embellished.
To color or add color to something, often used poetically for embellishing with vibrant hues or seasonal beauty.
紅葉が山を彩っている。
The autumn leaves embellish the mountains.
To make a story more interesting by adding untrue or exaggerated details.
Colloquial phrase meaning to exaggerate or embellish a story, often with a nuance of making it more dramatic or interesting than reality.
彼は自分の冒険の話を盛って話すのが好きだ。
He likes to embellish his adventure stories.
その話、ちょっと盛ってない？
Aren't you embellishing that story a bit?
Formal verb for exaggerating, suitable for both spoken and written contexts. Can be used for stories, claims, or descriptions.
彼は自分の成功を誇張して話した。
He embellished his success story.
To add interesting or attractive features to something non-physical, like a story, performance, or life experience.
Metaphorical phrase meaning to add color or vibrancy to something abstract, such as life, a story, or an event.
旅行の思い出が人生に彩りを添える。
Travel memories embellish one's life.
彼女のユーモアが会話に彩りを添えた。
Her humor embellished the conversation.
Idiom meaning 'to add a flower', used when someone or something adds brilliance or charm to an occasion or work.
彼のスピーチが式典に華を添えた。
His speech embellished the ceremony.
Literary term for embellishing a story or account with artistic touches, often in writing or drama. Can imply fictionalization.
歴史的事実を潤色して小説に仕立てた。
He embellished historical facts into a novel.
Direct translations like '飾る' for embellishing a story sound unnatural. Use '話を盛る' or '誇張する' instead.
彼は話を飾った。
He embellished the story. (unnatural)
Idiom meaning 'to add fins' (to a fish), i.e., to embellish a story with extra details, often false ones. Implies the story grows beyond the truth.
噂に尾ひれがついて、大げさな話になった。
The rumor got embellished and became an exaggerated story.