Translation guide
This English phrase refers to controlling, restraining, or preventing something from becoming excessive. It is often used for emotions, behavior, spending, or growth. Japanese expresses this through verbs meaning 'to suppress', 'to hold back', or 'to keep under control', depending on what is being checked.
To prevent feelings like anger, excitement, or desire from getting out of hand.
General verb for suppressing or holding back something, including emotions, laughter, or urges.
怒りを抑えるのに苦労した。
I struggled to keep my anger in check.
彼は笑いを抑えられなかった。
He couldn't keep his laughter in check.
To endure or hold back tears, laughter, or physical urges. Often used in the form こらえきれない (can't hold back).
涙をこらえることができなかった。
I couldn't keep my tears in check.
To forcibly suppress or stifle, often with a nuance of oppression. Used for strong emotions or rebellion.
彼は感情を抑えつけて冷静に話した。
He kept his emotions in check and spoke calmly.
To prevent something like costs, population, or weeds from increasing too much.
Also used for controlling non-emotional things like expenses, inflation, or expansion.
経費を抑えるために努力している。
We are making efforts to keep expenses in check.
雑草の成長を抑える必要がある。
We need to keep the growth of weeds in check.
Literally 'to apply a brake', meaning to put a stop to or curb something that is getting out of control, like a trend or bad habit.
感染拡大に歯止めをかけなければならない。
We must keep the spread of infection in check.
Formal term for suppression or control, often used in technical or economic contexts.
政府はインフレを抑制する政策を導入した。
The government introduced policies to keep inflation in check.
To prevent a person or group from acting out, misbehaving, or exceeding limits.
Use with a person or their actions. Often implies authority or supervision.
先生はいたずら好きの生徒を抑えるのに苦労した。
The teacher struggled to keep the mischievous students in check.
To control or manage someone's behavior, often used for groups or systems.
群衆を制御するのは難しかった。
It was difficult to keep the crowd in check.
In some contexts, Japanese uses grammatical structures to express keeping someone in check, like ～させない (not let them do) or ～されないようにする (make sure they aren't done).
彼らが勝手なことをしないように見張っている。
I'm watching them to keep them in check (so they don't do as they please).
Both mean to suppress, but 抑える is broader and can be used for emotions, costs, or growth. こらえる is specifically for enduring physical or emotional outbursts like tears, laughter, or pain, and often appears in the potential form こらえられない.
The loanword チェックする means 'to check' as in to inspect or verify, not to restrain. Saying 感情をチェックする would be unnatural; use 抑える instead.