Translation guide
The act of displaying one's abilities, possessions, or qualities in a boastful or attention-seeking manner. Japanese has many nuanced expressions depending on what is being shown off and the speaker's attitude.
彼女は新しいドレスを見せびらかしている。
She is showing off her new dress.
To boast or flaunt oneself, often in a negative sense
A common verb meaning to show off or flaunt something, often with a negative connotation.
彼は新しい車を見せびらかしている。
He is showing off his new car.
To boast or brag about something. Can be used for oneself or one's family/possessions.
彼女はいつも自分の成績を自慢する。
She always boasts about her grades.
To flaunt or show off, often used for knowledge or status. Slightly more formal or literary.
To try to look good or show off, often by acting cool or stylish. Casual.
彼は女の子の前でいい格好をしようとした。
He tried to show off in front of the girls.
To display or show off, often used in formal or written contexts. Implies a deliberate demonstration of power or ability.
彼は権力を誇示した。
He showed off his power.
To flaunt physical attractiveness or fashion
To demonstrate one's talent or expertise in a boastful way
To show off one's skills, often in a performance or demonstration. Neutral to positive.
彼は料理の腕前を披露した。
He showed off his cooking skills.
To flaunt money, luxury items, or status symbols
To act in a way that seeks attention, often immature
見せびらかす focuses on the visual display of something, while 自慢する is about boasting verbally. You can 自慢する without showing anything, but 見せびらかす usually involves a physical object or action.
彼は給料を自慢するが、お金を見せびらかしたりはしない。
He boasts about his salary but doesn't show off his money.
The English phrase 'showing off' cannot be directly translated into a single Japanese word in all contexts. Using 見せる (to show) alone is insufficient. Choose the appropriate verb based on what is being shown off and the nuance.
彼は知識をひけらかすのが好きだ。
He likes to flaunt his knowledge.
To show off or flaunt, often with a nuance of forcing someone to look. Can be used for body, clothes, or affection.
彼女は短いスカートで脚を見せつけている。
She is showing off her legs in a short skirt.
To expose or reveal, often used for showing skin or wearing revealing clothes. Can be neutral or negative.
彼女は肌を露出しすぎだ。
She shows off too much skin.
Literally 'fashion boasting', used to describe someone who shows off their clothes or style.
彼女のインスタはファッション自慢ばかりだ。
Her Instagram is full of showing off her fashion.
To show something with a boastful air. Emphasizes the attitude.
彼は自慢げに新しいギターの腕前を見せた。
He boastfully showed off his new guitar skills.
As above, to flaunt knowledge or skills, often with a negative nuance.
彼は語学力をひけらかす。
He flaunts his language skills.
The most common verb for showing off material possessions.
彼は高級時計を見せびらかしている。
He is showing off his luxury watch.
Boasting about being rich. Often used as a noun phrase.
彼の話はいつも金持ち自慢だ。
His stories are always showing off his wealth.
To flaunt luxury, emphasizing the extravagance.
彼らは贅沢な生活を見せつける。
They show off their luxurious lifestyle.
To get carried away and show off, often after receiving praise. Implies overconfidence.
褒めたら調子に乗って自慢話ばかりする。
When praised, he gets carried away and just shows off.
To want to stand out or be the center of attention. Describes a personality trait.
彼は目立ちたがり屋だ。
He is a show-off (lit. someone who wants to stand out).
To act like a good kid or show off one's goodness, often used for children or childish adults.
彼は先生の前でいい子ぶっている。
He is showing off in front of the teacher (acting like a good kid).