Translation guide
Describes moving in an unsteady, wobbling way, as if about to fall. In Japanese, this is usually expressed with adverbs or mimetic words that describe shaky, staggering motion.
To describe someone walking in a wobbly, unstable manner, often due to age, injury, or intoxication.
To describe someone getting up or standing in a wobbly, unstable way.
A common phrase using the mimetic adverb よろよろ to describe rising totteringly.
彼はよろよろと立ち上がった。
He stood up totteringly.
To describe an object or structure that wobbles or seems about to collapse.
よろよろ emphasizes weakness and unsteadiness, often from age or exhaustion. ふらふら focuses on dizziness or lightheadedness. よたよた suggests a clumsy, staggering gait, often from intoxication or extreme fatigue.
よろよろと老人が歩く。
An elderly person walks totteringly.
ふらふらと目が回る。
I feel dizzy and tottering.
よたよたと酔っ払いが歩く。
A drunkard walks totteringly.
A mimetic adverb describing unsteady, tottering movement, often used for someone weak, drunk, or dizzy.
おじいさんがよろよろと歩いている。
The old man is walking totteringly.
A mimetic adverb for swaying or staggering, often from dizziness, exhaustion, or intoxication.
彼は熱でふらふらしながら立ち上がった。
He stood up totteringly with a fever.
A mimetic adverb for tottering or staggering, often with a nuance of clumsiness or weakness.
酔っ払いがよたよたと道を渡った。
The drunkard crossed the street totteringly.
A mimetic adverb for the unsteady, tottering walk of a toddler.
赤ちゃんがよちよち歩き始めた。
The baby started walking totteringly.
Uses ふらふら to emphasize dizziness or lack of balance while rising.
彼女はふらふらと立ち上がり、壁に手をついた。
She stood up totteringly and put her hand on the wall.
A mimetic adverb for something large and unstable, like a tottering pile or a loose tooth.
積み木がぐらぐらと揺れている。
The blocks are tottering.
A mimetic adverb for rattling or shaking, often used for unstable furniture or machinery.
古い机ががたがたしている。
The old desk is tottering.