Translation guide
Describes something swollen, inflated, or figuratively proud. Covers physical puffiness (like a swollen face or puffed rice) and emotional states (like being puffed up with pride).
Describing something that has expanded in size, often due to air, liquid, or injury.
Past tense of 膨らむ (to swell). Commonly used for things that have puffed up, like a balloon, bread, or a swollen cheek.
パンが膨らんだ。
The bread puffed up.
彼の頬が膨らんでいた。
His cheek was puffed up.
Describing someone who is full of pride, often in a negative or showy way.
An adjective meaning 'looking proud/pleased with oneself'. Often used for someone puffed up after a success.
彼は得意げな顔をしている。
He has a puffed-up look on his face.
Describing light, airy foods like puffed rice or puffed pastry.
Loanword from English 'puff', used in food contexts like パフライス (puffed rice) or パフペストリー (puff pastry). Often part of a compound.
Avoid directly translating 'puffed up' as 膨らんだ when referring to pride. Use 得意げ or 威張った instead. 膨らんだ for a person would mean physically swollen.
彼は膨らんでいる。
He is swollen (physically).
Past tense of 腫れる (to swell), specifically for body parts due to injury or illness. Use this for puffy eyes, swollen ankles, etc.
Onomatopoeic adverb/noun describing something stretched tight or bulging, like a full stomach or a puffed-up bag.
お腹がぱんぱんだ。
My stomach is puffed up (full).
袋がぱんぱんに膨らんでいる。
The bag is puffed up tight.
Past tense of 膨張する (to expand). More technical, used for materials expanding due to heat or pressure, or abstract expansion.
金属が熱で膨張した。
The metal puffed up from the heat.
She was puffed up after receiving the award.
Past tense of 威張る (to be arrogant/domineering). Implies a puffed-up attitude of superiority.
彼はいつも威張っている。
He's always puffed up with arrogance.
威張った態度をとるな。
Don't act all puffed up.
Idiom meaning 'to get a big head' or 'be puffed up with pride', literally 'becoming a tengu' (a mythical boastful creature).
成功して天狗になるな。
Don't get all puffed up just because you succeeded.
パフライスは軽い食感だ。
Puffed rice has a light texture.
Same as the physical swelling word, but used for foods that have risen or puffed up during cooking.
このパイはよくふくらんでいる。
This pie is nicely puffed up.