Translation guide
How to express the action of holding one's breath in Japanese, including literal breath-holding and figurative anticipation.
To intentionally stop breathing for a short time, such as underwater or to avoid a smell.
The most common and neutral way to say 'hold one's breath'. Used for intentional breath-holding.
水中で息を止めた。
I held my breath underwater.
臭いので息を止めて通った。
I passed by holding my breath because it stank.
To wait anxiously for something to happen, often used in the phrase 'hold one's breath' to describe a tense or excited wait.
息を止める is the general term for voluntarily stopping breathing. 息をこらえる adds a nuance of enduring or withstanding something while holding breath, often used in contexts of pain, cold, or emotional tension.
冷たい水の中で息をこらえた。
I held my breath in the cold water.
While 'hold one's breath' in English can be used figuratively for waiting in suspense, directly translating it as 息を止める sounds odd in Japanese. Use idiomatic expressions like 固唾をのむ or 息をのむ instead.
Implies enduring or withstanding something while holding one's breath, often with a nuance of tension or effort.
彼は痛みに耐えて息をこらえた。
He held his breath enduring the pain.
Literally 'kill one's breath', used when trying to be very quiet or hide one's presence, often in tense situations.
隠れている間、息を殺していた。
I held my breath while hiding.
An idiomatic expression meaning to watch with bated breath, feeling tense or anxious about the outcome.
観客は固唾をのんで試合の行方を見守った。
The audience held their breath watching the game's outcome.
Literally 'swallow one's breath', used when something surprising or breathtaking happens, causing a gasp or moment of shock.
その美しい景色に息をのんだ。
I held my breath at the beautiful scenery.
Describes a thrilling, suspenseful situation where one's palms sweat; often used for exciting events like sports or movies.
手に汗握る展開だった。
It was a breath-holding development.