濁す

• Reading: にごす
• Romaji: nigosu
• Kanji breakdown: 濁 (daku/nigo) — muddy, turbid, obscure
• Pronunciation: /ni.ɡo.sɯ/

Meaning

To make muddy or turbid; to obscure; to be deliberately evasive or ambiguous in speech.

A Group 1 (godan) verb with both literal and figurative meanings. Literally it means to make water murky or to cloud a clear liquid. Figuratively, the most common use in N1-level contexts is 言葉を濁す (to speak vaguely, to hedge), meaning to intentionally avoid giving a clear answer, often to escape responsibility or prevent conflict. This evasiveness is a culturally recognisable communicative strategy and the phrase appears frequently in news reports and formal writing.

Examples

1. 記者から直接質問されても、大臣は言葉を濁すだけで明確な回答を避けた。 Even when directly questioned by reporters, the minister merely spoke in vague terms and avoided giving a clear answer.
2. 透明だった川が工場排水で濁されたという報告を受け、当局が調査に乗り出した。 Upon receiving reports that a river that had been clear was now turbid with factory discharge, the authorities launched an investigation.
3. 彼は責任の所在について問われるたびに言葉を濁し、問題解決が遅れた。 Every time he was asked about where responsibility lay, he hedged and spoke vaguely, causing delays in resolving the problem.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, journalism, business, daily life

Tone: negative

Origin & History

From the adjective 濁る (nigoru, to become muddy), itself rooted in Old Japanese. The kanji 濁 combines 氵 (water) and 蜀 (a caterpillar-like creature associated with opacity), evoking the image of water made unclear by disturbance.

Cultural Context

Era: Contemporary

Generation: Adult

Social background: General