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I'm not sure how to formulate this question, but some words bother me. Here's a sentence for you :

彼女はまだぶつぶつと呟いている。

I often see these kinds of words and sometimes, like this one, I can't find what it could mean. My dictionary says "grumble, mutter" and so on, but isn't that what 呟く means? Then, how do you use these words? Can these type of words be translated or are they just part of the Japanese language without being able to translate them into English? I feel like they can't be translated at all.

Ushiromiya
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    `I often see these kinds of words`-- You mean onomatopoeia/擬音語/擬態語/擬声語? https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/5318/9831 – Chocolate Nov 23 '17 at 14:26
  • Thank you! Oh, was it an onomatopoeia? Then, ぶつぶつ could be translated as the sound you make when you grumble? Jisho seems to give words, but you don't translate ぶつぶつ with a word, right? – Ushiromiya Nov 23 '17 at 14:43
  • It is often said "mumbling". –  Nov 23 '17 at 14:44
  • But "to murmur" or "to grumble" is 呟く, right? Then, ぶつぶつ can't be the same (in english at least). – Ushiromiya Nov 23 '17 at 14:45
  • It's an adverb which in this case strengthens and nuances the meaning of the verb. It is true that just using the verb would have a similar meaning, but this kind of repetition of information is a common way of nuancing your language, not only in Japanese. – a20 Nov 24 '17 at 10:36
  • 彼女はまだぶつぶつと呟いている。 She is still mumbling, "Butsu butsu." 彼女はまだぶつぶつ言っている。 She is still saying, "Butsu butsu." その犬は、ワンワン（と）吠えている。 The dog is barking, "bow-wow." I think this answer may solve something for you. –  Nov 26 '17 at 12:22
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    ^ `She is still saying, "Butsu butsu."` <-- 人が小声で不満や文句を言っているとき、実際に、文字通りに、「ぶつぶつ。」と言うことはあるのでしょうか・・ – Chocolate Feb 04 '18 at 02:19

1 Answers1

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"She was muttering to herself".

kandyman
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