独(ひと)り言(ごと)

ひとりごと
noun
talking to oneself; soliloquy; monologue
communication
1. talking to oneself; soliloquy; monologue
Speaking aloud to oneself without addressing anyone, often while thinking or working.
彼(かれ)は独(ひと)り言(ごと)が多(おお)い。
He talks to himself a lot.
「困(こま)ったな」と独(ひと)り言(ごと)を言(い)った。
"This is a problem," I muttered to myself.
独(ひと)り言(ごと)のつもりが、聞(き)かれていた。
I thought I was talking to myself, but someone heard me.
隣(となり)の席(せき)の人(ひと)がぶつぶつと独(ひと)り言(ごと)を言(い)っていて気(き)になった。
The person sitting next to me was mumbling to themselves, and it bothered me.
難(むずか)しい問題(もんだい)を考(かんが)えている時(とき)、つい独(ひと)り言(ごと)が出(で)てしまう。
When I'm thinking about a difficult problem, I end up talking to myself without realizing it.

独(ひと)り言(ごと) is speaking aloud to oneself — muttering, thinking out loud, the words that escape while you work through a problem. It names the utterance, not the habit, so it is counted and 'said': 独(ひと)り言(ごと)を言(い)う.

Formation: 独(ひと)り 'alone' + 言(ごと) 'saying, words.'

Orthography

  • 独(ひと)り言(ごと): the standard writing
  • ひとりごと: very common in hiragana
  • 独言(ひとりごと): a compact kanji form, uncommon

Collocations

  • 独(ひと)り言(ごと)を言(い)う: to talk to oneself
  • 独(ひと)り言(ごと)が多(おお)い: to talk to oneself a lot
  • 独(ひと)り言(ごと)のように: as if talking to oneself — often used of something said in earshot but not addressed to anyone
  • ぶつぶつと独(ひと)り言(ごと): mumbling to oneself

Other 〜言(ごと) words, all naming a kind of speech:

Related Words

Related: 寝言(ねごと) (sleep-talking)
core
Added 2026.1.18 22:35 · Revised 2026.8.26 9:29
07000/07022_hitorigoto