1.
to complain; to grumble; to gripe
To express dissatisfaction or complaints, especially about things one cannot change, often to someone who will listen sympathetically.
愚痴を言っても仕方がない。
There's no point in complaining.
彼はいつも仕事の愚痴を言う。
He always complains about work.
友達に愚痴を言って少し気が楽になった。
I felt a little better after venting to a friend.
愚痴ばかり言っていないで、自分から行動を起こしなさい。
Stop just complaining and take action yourself.
愚痴 originally comes from Buddhist terminology meaning spiritual ignorance or foolish attachment. In modern usage, it refers to complaints or grumbling, particularly about things that cannot be easily changed. Saying 愚痴を言う implies a certain futility — the speaker knows complaining won't solve the problem but does it anyway.
The verb can also be 愚痴る (a casual verb form meaning "to gripe"), which is common in informal speech.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 愚痴を言う: to complain
- 愚痴をこぼす: to let complaints slip out
- 愚痴を聞く: to listen to someone's complaints
- 愚痴ばかり言う: to do nothing but complain
- 愚痴っぽい: prone to complaining
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 文句を言う: to complain; to object — more confrontational, directed at a specific target
- 不平を言う: to express dissatisfaction — more formal
- 愚痴る: to gripe — casual verb form of the same concept
Related Words
Related:
不平を言う (formal)