もやもや

Japanese

Etymology

Reduplication of 靄 (moya, “mist”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) もやもや [móꜜyàmòyà] (Atamadaka – [1]) (adverb)
• IPA^(key): [mo̞ja̠mo̞ja̠]

• (Tokyo) もやもや [mòyámóyá] (Heiban – [0]) (noun)
• IPA^(key): [mo̞ja̠mo̞ja̠]

Adverb

もやもや or モヤモヤ • (moyamoya) 

1. hazily, foggily, mistily

   たばこの煙(けむ)がもやもやと立(た)ち込(こ)めていた。

   Tabako no kemu ga moyamoya to tachikomete ita.

   The room was hazy with (cigarette) smoke.

2. vaguely, fuzzily, hazily

   もやもやとした記(き)憶(おく) ― moyamoya to shita kioku ― hazy memory

3. feeling confused, frustrated, or irritated

   Synonym: もやくや (moyakuya)

4. growing in clusters; fuzzily (of hair)
5. (sex) feeling aroused or lustful
6. arguing or quarreling in a disorderly or chaotic way

Usage notes

Takes the と (to) particle.

Derived terms

• もやもや病(びょう) (moyamoya-byō, “moyamoya disease”)

Noun

もやもや or モヤモヤ • (moyamoya) 

1. confusion, frustration, anxiety

   胸(むね)のもやもやを晴(は)らす

   mune no moyamoya o harasu

   to clear up feelings of anxiety

2. dispute, argument, disarray

   Synonyms: ごたごた (gotagota), もめごと (momegoto)

Verb

もやもやする or モヤモヤする • (moyamoya suru) suru (stem もやもやし (moyamoya shi), past もやもやした (moyamoya shita))

1. to be hazy, misty
2. to be unclear, fuzzy

   頭(あたま)がもやもやしている。

   Atama ga moyamoya shite iru.

   My head feels fuzzy.

3. to be confused, frustrated

   彼(かれ)の一(ひと)言(こと)で、もやもやしていたものが吹(ふ)っきれた。

   Kare no hitokoto de, moyamoya shite ita mono ga fukkireta.

   His words cleared up the confusion I had been feeling.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "もやもやする" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	もやもやし	moyamoya shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	もやもやし	moyamoya shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	もやもやする	moyamoya suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	もやもやする	moyamoya suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	もやもやすれ	moyamoya sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	もやもやせよ¹ もやもやしろ²	moyamoya seyo¹ moyamoya shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	もやもやされる	moyamoya sareru
Causative	もやもやさせる もやもやさす	moyamoya saseru moyamoya sasu
Potential	もやもやできる	moyamoya dekiru
Volitional	もやもやしよう	moyamoya shiyō
Negative	もやもやしない	moyamoya shinai
Negative continuative	もやもやせず	moyamoya sezu
Formal	もやもやします	moyamoya shimasu
Perfective	もやもやした	moyamoya shita
Conjunctive	もやもやして	moyamoya shite
Hypothetical conditional	もやもやすれば	moyamoya sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

Descendants

• → English: moyamoya