Japanese

いいよどむ
Meaning: to falter while speaking; to hesitate mid-sentence
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 言い淀む 言い淀まない
Polite 言い淀みます 言い淀みません
Past 言い淀んだ 言い淀まなかった
Polite + Past 言い淀みました 言い淀みませんでした
Te-form 言い淀んで 言い淀まなくて
Potential 言い淀める 言い淀めない
Passive 言い淀まれる 言い淀まれない
Causative 言い淀ませる 言い淀ませない
Causative + Passive 言い淀まされる 言い淀まされない
Imperative 言い淀め 言い淀むな

Example

彼は本当の理由を聞かれると、少し言い淀んだ。
When he was asked the real reason, he hesitated a little.

Usage Notes

Use this when words stop coming smoothly because the speaker is nervous, unsure, or reluctant to answer.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.