先延ばしにする
To procrastinate in Japanese is to say 先延ばしにする.
The phrase 先延ばしにする is a transitive verb, meaning it requires an object (the thing being delayed) to be grammatically complete in a sentence.
Meaning: put off, to delay taking action (verb)
Which one should you use?
The noun form of the verb is simply 先延ばし.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the continuous state of procrastinating, use the ~ている form: 先延ばしにしている.
Did you know?
- If you are procrastinating by playing or idling, you might use the phrase 油を売る (abura o uru), which literally means 'to sell oil'.
- While 'procrastinate' can be a personal failing in English, in some Japanese contexts, 'delaying' a decision is framed as 'being careful' or 'considering the situation' to maintain harmony.
- In a professional Japanese context, procrastinating on a report is often described as 溜める, which literally means 'to accumulate' or 'to pile up'.
Examples in context
- 課題を先延ばしにする。Kadai o saki-nobashi ni suru.To put off assignments.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “procrastinate” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
