翻弄する

• Reading: ほんろうする
• Romaji: honrousuru
• Kanji breakdown: 翻 (hon) — flip, turn; 弄 (rou) — toy with, manipulate
• Pronunciation: /hon.ɾo.ː.sɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To toy with; to manipulate; to toss about at will; to control arbitrarily.

A Group 3 (suru) formal verb. Describes being driven about or controlled by an external force—waves tossing a boat, fate manipulating a person, or a powerful party toying with a weaker one. The subject of 翻弄する is usually a powerful, impersonal force (運命, 波, 権力者) and the object is the one being manipulated. Carries a sense of helplessness in the victim.

Examples

1. 荒波に翻弄されながらも、船は港にたどり着いた。 Tossed about by the rough waves, the boat nevertheless reached the harbour.
2. 彼女は運命に翻弄されてきた人生を、本に著した。 She wrote a book about a life that had been at the mercy of fate.
3. 大国の思惑に翻弄される小国の姿が描かれている。 The story depicts the plight of a small nation manipulated by the designs of great powers.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, journalism, politics, literature

Tone: literary

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound from 翻 (hon, flip/turn over) and 弄 (rou, toy with/manipulate). 弄 specifically carries the nuance of handling something carelessly or for amusement, making 翻弄 distinctly condescending or adversarial in character.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated