鼾をかく
ibiki o kaku
To snore in Japanese is 鼾をかく (ibiki o kaku). Wiktionary also lists 鼾を立てる (ibiki o tateru).
Meaning: breathe during sleep with harsh noises (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 鼾をかく | ibiki o kaku |
| 鼾を立てる | ibiki o tateru |
The verb refers to the act of breathing with harsh noises while sleeping.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 鼾をかく (ibiki o kaku) literally means 'to draw/scratch a snore'. In this context, the verb kaku (to draw/scratch/write) is used to describe the production of the sound.
Which one should you use?
鼾をかく (ibiki o kaku) focuses on the act of snoring, whereas 鼾を立てる (ibiki o tateru) focuses more on the sound itself being produced or 'raised'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase いびきをかく is appropriate for use across Japan with no significant regional variations.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
ibiki o kaku
Did you know?
- If you want to describe a person who is a heavy snorer, you can use the noun いびき魔 (ibiki-ma). The suffix 魔 (ma), which means 'demon' or 'devil', is attached to the word for 'snore' to characterize the person as a 'snore demon'.
- The word 鼾 (ibiki) is frequently written in hiragana as いびき because the kanji character is relatively rare and difficult for many modern Japanese speakers to write.
- In traditional Japanese theater or storytelling, a loud ibiki is often used as a comedic device to signal that a character is completely oblivious to the chaos happening around them.
Examples in context
- 社長はいびきをかきます。The company president snores.
- 彼は寝ている間にいびきをかくことがあります。He snores while he sleeps.
- 昨晩、弟がいびきをかいていた。Last night, my younger brother was snoring.
- あの人、寝ている時にいびきをかくことがあるよ。That person sometimes snores when they sleep.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about their sleep habits.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんは、寝るときに鼾をかく？Hiroto-san wa, neru toki ni ikan o kaku?Hiroto, do you snore when you sleep?
- 大翔 Hirotoいや、僕は全然かかないよ。Iya, boku wa zenzen kakanai yo.No, I don't snore at all.
- 美咲 Misaki本当？私の家族はみんな鼾をかくの。Hontō? Watashi no kazoku wa minna ikan o kaku no.Really? Everyone in my family snores.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれは大変だね。Sore wa taihen da ne.That must be tough.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snore” translations and entries 鼾をかく, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
