わくわくする
wakuwaku suru
The English word "exciting" is translated into Japanese as わくわくする (wakuwaku suru).
わくわくする is used to express positive excitement, such as anticipation or thrill, rather than being 'excited' by a shocking or alarming event.
Meaning: causing excitement (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from the onomatopoeic word わくわく, which mimics the sound or feeling of a heart thumping or bubbling with anticipation.
Which one should you use?
To say that something 'is exciting' (as in, it causes the excitement in others), use the causative form わくわくさせる. To describe the state of being currently excited, use the continuous form わくわくしている instead of the dictionary form わくわくする.
How do you pronounce it?
wakuwaku suru
Did you know?
- The sound わくわく is related to わきだす, which describes water bubbling up or springing from a source. This suggests that excitement in Japanese is conceptualized as an internal spring of emotion overflowing.
- Because わくわく is an onomatopoeic word, it is often written in katakana as ワクワク instead of hiragana. This visual shift is common in manga and advertisements to make the excitement feel more vivid and energetic.
- In Japanese, you might use different rhythmic words like どきどき to describe the same heartbeat, but that version often implies nervous or fearful excitement instead of joyful anticipation.
Examples in context
- 彼はわくわくするような冒険談をしてくれた。He told us a very exciting adventure story.This sentence shows how to use わくわくする to describe an exciting adventure story.Tatoeba #110279 by bunbuku, translation #1316445 by CK
- ウィンブルドンで行われる男子と女子のシングルス決勝は、１年で最もわくわくする、そして最も人気のあるスポーツ行事の１つである。The men's and women's singles finals at Wimbledon are among the most exciting and popular sports events of the year.This sentence uses わくわくする to describe an exciting sports event.Tatoeba #228322 by bunbuku, translation #65677 by papabear
- この旅行はワクワクしますねThis trip is exciting, isn't it?
- デートの前はわくわくドキドキしますI feel excited and nervous before a date.
- ライブのチケットが当たって、テンションが上がりましたI won tickets to a concert, and I got excited.
- 彼のプレゼントをもらったら興奮したI got excited when I received his gift.
- 今日のイベントが楽しみでワクワクしています！I'm excited and looking forward to today's event!
- 楽しいイベントに参加すると、わくわくドキドキしますねWhen you participate in a fun event, you get excited and nervous, right?
- 友達との旅行の計画を聞いて、テンションが上がりましたMy energy level went up when I heard about the travel plans with my friends.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a new movie.
- 結衣 Yuiこの映画の予告編、わくわくするね！Kono eiga no yokouhen, wakuwaku suru ne!The trailer for this movie is exciting, isn't it!
- 健太 Kenta本当だね。早く映画館で観たいよ。Hontou da ne. Hayaku eigakan de mitai yo.It really is. I want to see it at the theater soon.
- 結衣 Yui健太くんも一緒に見に行こうよ。Kenta-kun mo issho ni mi ni ikou yo.Kenta, let's go see it together.
- 健太 Kentaいいね。いつにする？Ii ne. Itsu ni suru?Sounds good. When should we go?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
