Translation guide
How to talk about farting in Japanese, from casual to polite, including onomatopoeia and euphemisms.
Talking about farting in informal situations with friends or family.
The most common and neutral word for 'fart'. Can be used by anyone, including children. Often used with する (to do).
A more blunt, sometimes vulgar word for 'fart'. Used mainly by men in very casual settings. Can sound crude.
Avoid in polite company; おなら is safer.
屁をこいた。
I farted. (crude)
The standard verb phrase 'to fart'.
さっきおならをしちゃった。
I just farted (accidentally).
A childish or playful word for 'fart' or 'farting', often used in children's language or jokes.
へこきおばけ
farting ghost (a children's story character)
Describing the sound of a fart.
The most common onomatopoeia for a fart sound, often used with と.
おならがブーっと出た。
I farted with a 'buu' sound.
A softer or higher-pitched fart sound.
赤ちゃんがプーっとおならをした。
The baby farted with a little 'puu'.
A silent or hissing fart sound.
スーッという音のおなら
a fart with a hissing sound
Referring to farting in a more polite or indirect way, e.g., in public or with strangers.
Literally 'gas comes out', a common euphemism for farting, similar to 'passing gas' in English.
お腹にガスがたまって、ガスが出そうです。
I have gas in my stomach and I think I'm going to pass gas.
Using おなら with 出る (to come out) is slightly more indirect than おならをする, and can be used in polite contexts.
すみません、ちょっとおならが出てしまいました。
Sorry, I just let out a little fart.
Referring to flatulence in a medical or formal context.
The formal, medical term for 'farting' or 'flatulence'. Used in clinical settings.
放屁の回数が増えた。
The frequency of flatulence has increased.
Literally 'intestinal gas', used in medical contexts to refer to gas that may be passed as flatulence.
腸内ガスがたまりやすい体質です。
I have a constitution that easily accumulates intestinal gas.
English uses 'fart' as a verb directly, but Japanese usually uses noun+する (おならをする) or noun+出る (おならが出る). Avoid trying to conjugate 'fart' as a single verb; there is no exact equivalent.
おなら is the standard, polite enough for most situations. 屁 (へ) is crude and often used in set phrases like 屁をこく (to fart vulgarly) or 屁の河童 (a proverb). Use おなら unless you want to sound rough or humorous.