Translation guide
The English word 'undulation' refers to a wavelike motion or form. In Japanese, there is no single everyday equivalent; instead, different words and phrases are used depending on whether you mean a physical wave, a flowing movement, or a visual pattern.
Describing something that moves in a smooth, rising and falling manner, like waves on water or a snake's body.
Common word for a gentle, rolling wave or swell, often used for the sea, land, or a snake's movement.
海のうねりが大きい。
The undulation of the sea is large.
蛇がうねりながら進む。
The snake moves forward with undulations.
Verb meaning 'to undulate' or 'to wave', often used for surfaces like water, fields, or fabric.
風で湖面が波打っている。
The lake surface is undulating in the wind.
Technical term for wave motion, used in physics or figurative contexts. Not for everyday description.
音は空気の波動として伝わる。
Sound travels as undulations in the air.
Describing something that has a wavy shape or appearance, such as lines, hair, or terrain.
Means 'wavy' or 'undulating' as a shape, often used in compounds like 波状の (wavy) or 波状雲 (undulating clouds).
その道は波状になっている。
The road has an undulating form.
波状の髪
undulating hair
Refers to ups and downs, undulations in terrain or a graph. Often used for hills or emotional changes.
Onomatopoeic adverb describing a winding, undulating shape, often used for roads or rivers.
Describing a smooth, wavelike motion, often in dance, gymnastics, or the movement of cloth.
Literal 'wave-like movement', a clear and natural way to describe undulation in body movement.
ダンサーの波のような動きが美しい。
The dancer's undulating movement is beautiful.
Verb meaning to bend or twist sinuously, often used for body parts like the waist or a snake.
彼女は腰をくねらせて踊った。
She danced with undulating hips.
English 'undulation' is often used in literary or technical contexts. In everyday Japanese, it's more natural to describe the specific type of wave or movement rather than using a single abstract noun.
This area is rich in undulations.
うねうねした道
an undulating road