こぼす
こぼす
verb (godan)
to spill, to grumble
1.
to spill
To cause liquid or small objects to fall out of a container.
コーヒーをこぼした。
I spilled the coffee.
子供が牛乳をこぼしてしまった。
The child spilled the milk.
テーブルの上にスープをこぼして、慌てて拭いた。
I spilled soup on the table and hurriedly wiped it up.
2.
to grumble, to complain
To express dissatisfaction.
愚痴をこぼす。
To grumble complaints.
彼はいつも仕事の不満をこぼしている。
He is always grumbling about his job.
給料が少ないと弱音をこぼしても、何も変わらない。
Even if you grumble that your salary is too low, nothing will change.
こぼす has two meanings: to spill (liquid) and to complain (figurative).
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: 他動詞 (transitive)
- Pair: こぼれる (intransitive, to spill/overflow)
COMMON PATTERNS (SPILL):
- コーヒーをこぼす: to spill coffee
- 水をこぼす: to spill water
COMMON PATTERNS (FIGURATIVE):
- 涙をこぼす: to shed tears
- 愚痴をこぼす: to grumble/complain
- 弱音をこぼす: to show weakness
NOTE:
When meaning 'to complain,' often has a negative nuance of unnecessary complaining.