Translation guide
The English verb "shake" covers a wide range of actions and meanings. This guide organizes them by the intended physical action or figurative meaning, then provides natural Japanese equivalents.
To move something quickly from side to side or up and down, often with your hand.
General verb for shaking something, especially with a swinging motion. Used for shaking hands, heads, bottles, etc.
瓶をよく振ってください。
Please shake the bottle well.
彼は首を振った。
He shook his head.
To shake something back and forth, often with a pushing/pulling motion. Used for shaking a person awake, shaking a tree, etc.
彼は私の肩を揺すって起こした。
He shook me by the shoulder to wake me up.
To shake or swing something around wildly. Often implies a lack of control.
犬がおもちゃを振り回している。
The dog is shaking the toy around.
To move a part of the body quickly, often as a gesture.
Used for shaking head, hands, etc. For shaking head 'no', 首を横に振る is common.
彼は手を振って別れを告げた。
He waved his hand and said goodbye.
彼女は首を横に振った。
She shook her head (to indicate no).
Specifically for shaking one's head. Can be used for both denial and general head shaking.
彼は悲しそうに首を振った。
He shook his head sadly.
To shake one's fist (in anger). Literally 'swing one's fist around'.
彼は怒って拳を振り回した。
He shook his fist in anger.
To clasp and move someone's hand up and down as a greeting or agreement.
The standard term for shaking hands. Literally 'do a handshake'.
彼らは固く握手した。
They shook hands firmly.
Literally 'grasp hands'. Can imply a handshake, but also simply holding hands. Context dependent.
彼は私の手を握って「ありがとう」と言った。
He shook my hand and said 'thank you'.
To tremble or quiver involuntarily due to cold, fear, excitement, etc.
General verb for trembling or shivering, often from cold, fear, or strong emotion.
寒さで体が震えた。
My body shook from the cold.
彼女は恐怖で震えていた。
She was shaking with fear.
Similar to 震える, but often used for more intense or violent shaking, or in literary contexts.
Onomatopoeic expression for chattering or shaking, especially from cold or fear.
寒くて歯ががたがた震えた。
I was so cold my teeth were chattering.
To agitate a container to mix its contents.
Used for shaking a container to mix contents, like a cocktail shaker or salad dressing.
ドレッシングをよく振ってから使ってください。
Please shake the dressing well before using.
Loanword from English, commonly used for shaking cocktails or protein shakes.
カクテルをシェイクする。
Shake a cocktail.
To disturb or weaken someone's mental state, belief, or determination.
To shake or rock something figuratively, such as confidence, belief, or a system. Often used in the passive form 揺るがされる.
その事件は彼の信念を揺るがした。
The incident shook his beliefs.
To disturb or unsettle someone emotionally. Often used for shaking someone's composure.
その知らせは彼女を動揺させた。
The news shook her (emotionally).
To cause something to waver or become unstable, often used for resolve or confidence.
彼の決心はぐらつかなかった。
His resolve was not shaken.
To remove something by shaking, or to escape from someone/something.
To shake off something physically (like dust) or figuratively (like a pursuer or doubt).
彼は服のほこりを振り払った。
He shook the dust off his clothes.
彼女は不安を振り払おうとした。
She tried to shake off her anxiety.
Colloquial verb meaning to shake off a pursuer or tail. Often used in the form 尾行をまく.
彼は尾行をまいた。
He shook off the tail.
To move back and forth or up and down rapidly, often due to external force like an earthquake.
Intransitive verb for something shaking or swaying. Used for earthquakes, buildings, etc.
地震で建物が大きく揺れた。
The building shook violently in the earthquake.
Technical term for vibration or seismic shaking.
地面が震動した。
The ground shook.
振る (furu) is transitive: you shake something. 揺する (yusuru) is also transitive but implies a back-and-forth motion, often with more force. 揺れる (yureru) is intransitive: something shakes on its own or due to external force (like an earthquake).
When talking about shaking from cold or fear, use 震える (furueru), not 振る (furu). 振る implies a deliberate action, while 震える is involuntary.
The common gesture for 'no' is 首を横に振る (kubi o yoko ni furu), literally 'shake head sideways'. Simply 首を振る can also mean shaking head in disbelief or sadness.
使用前によく振ってください。
Shake well before use.
彼は信じられないというように首を振った。
He shook his head in disbelief.
地震で街全体が揺れた。
The earthquake shook the entire city.
His whole body shook with anger.