おしゃべり
oshaberi[o̞ɕa̠be̞ɾʲi]
The English phrase "big mouth" is translated into Japanese as おしゃべり (oshaberi).
おしゃべり refers to a person who has a "big mouth," meaning someone who cannot keep a secret or talks too much unnecessarily. It is also used colloquially to describe a "chatterbox" or a person who is simply talkative.
Meaning: person who has such a "big mouth" (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おしゃべり is an informal term. To convey the idea of a "big mouth" in a more lighthearted and friendly manner, you can use おしゃべりさん.
How do you pronounce it?
oshaberi
Did you know?
- While おしゃべり can describe a 'big mouth', the Japanese have a more specific word for someone who leaks secrets: 口が軽い, which literally means 'the mouth is light'.
- The prefix お in おしゃべり is an honorific that can paradoxically make a blunt or mocking description sound polite or even cute. This allows you to tease a friend about their talkativeness without sounding genuinely rude.
- In Japanese culture, being おしゃべり is often contrasted with the virtue of 沈黙, or 'silence', which is historically viewed as a sign of strength and wisdom.
Examples in context
- 黙りなさい、このおしゃべり。Shut your big mouth.This sentence is useful for practicing how to address an おしゃべり.Tatoeba #80030 by small_snow, translation #323687 by CK
- 彼女は本当におしゃべりさんですね。She really is a big talker, isn't she?
- あのおしゃべりな人に秘密を話してはいけない。Ano oshaberi na hito ni himitsu o hanashite wa ikenai.You shouldn't tell secrets to that big mouth.
Example conversation
Yui tells Yota about a secret she heard.
- 結衣 Yuiねえ、陽太。面白い噂を聞いたよ。Nee, Yota. Omoshiroi uwasa o kiita yo.Hey, Yota. I heard some interesting gossip.
- 陽太 Yota結衣はおしゃべりだな。Yui wa oshaberi da na.Yui, you're such a big mouth.
- 結衣 Yuiそんなことないよ！Sonna koto nai yo!That's not true!
- 陽太 Yotaいいから、早く教えて。Ii kara, hayaku oshiete.Anyway, tell me quickly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry おしゃべり, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
