Entry
フーフー
fuufuu
The sound of blowing to cool something hot, heavy panting, or struggling with a hard task.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
フーフー (fuufuu) mimics the sound of blowing air from pursed lips, typically to cool down hot food or drinks. It also represents heavy breathing or panting after physical exertion. Metaphorically, it describes struggling or having a very difficult time dealing with demanding work, studies, or situations.
- Cooling hot food
- Panting from exertion
- Struggling / having difficulty
Sense Map
Cooling Hot Food
Blowing air repeatedly to cool down hot food or beverages.
スープをフーフー吹く
Panting
Breathing heavily, huffing and puffing from physical exertion.
走ってフーフー言う
Struggling
Having a hard time or barely managing to cope with difficult work or situations.
仕事にフーフーする
Usage Note
How to Use
フーフー（と）吹く
Used to explicitly describe the action of blowing on something (usually to cool it).
フーフー言う
Literally 'saying fuufuu', it means to pant audibly or metaphorically complain about how hard something is.
フーフーしながら
Means 'while blowing' or 'while panting', used when doing another action simultaneously.
フーフーする
Functions as a verb meaning to blow on something, to pant, or to struggle.
How to Use
Common Phrases
フーフー吹く
to blow on (to cool)
フーフー言う
to pant / to complain of struggle
フーフーしながら
while blowing / while panting
フーフー冷ます
to cool by blowing
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hot food | neutral | Gives a relatable, warm feeling of trying to eat something delicious but too hot. |
| Physical exertion | neutral | Implies tiredness or being out of breath, usually in a temporary, everyday situation after exercise. |
| Hard work / struggle | negative | Shows the speaker is overwhelmed by the workload or difficulty, with little room to relax. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
はふはふ はふはふ / similar | When the hot food is already in your mouth and you are sucking in and blowing out air to tolerate the heat. | フーフー is used before you put the food in your mouth. | 芋をハフハフ食べる |
ぜーぜー ぜーぜー / similar | When breathing very heavily, often wheezing from the chest due to illness (like asthma) or extreme exertion. | フーフー is a lighter panting from the mouth, whereas ゼーゼー comes from deep in the chest. | 喘息でゼーゼーする |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using it to describe the wind blowing.
フーフー is strictly for humans blowing air from their mouths, not natural wind (use びゅーびゅー for wind).
Using it for a sigh of relief.
It means you are exhausted or struggling, not relieved. Use ホッとする for feeling relieved.
Examples
Examples
熱いスープをフーフーしながら飲む。
あついスープをフーフーしながらのむ。
Drinking the hot soup while blowing on it to cool it down.
LiteralUsed for cooling down hot food before eating.
ラーメンをフーフーして食べる。
ラーメンをフーフーしてたべる。
Eating ramen after blowing on it.
LiteralShows the action of cooling food so it doesn't burn the tongue.
階段を駆け上がって、フーフー言っている。
かいだんをかけあがって、フーフーいっている。
Running up the stairs and panting heavily.
VisualDescribes physical exhaustion and heavy breathing.
大量の仕事にフーフーする毎日だ。
たいりょうのしごとにフーフーするまいにちだ。
Every day is a struggle with a massive amount of work.
FigurativeFigurative use to show the difficulty of handling a workload.
難しい課題にフーフー言いながら取り組む。
むずかしいかだいにフーフーいいながらとりくむ。
Tackling a difficult assignment while struggling.
FigurativeIndicates a hard effort when facing a challenging situation.
Similar Words
ハフハフ
hafuhafu
For cooling hot food already in the mouth.
Questions
Can I use フーフー for a strong wind?
No. It strictly describes a person blowing air from their mouth or panting. For wind, you can use びゅーびゅー.
What is the difference between フーフー and ハフハフ?
You do フーフー before putting the hot food in your mouth to cool it down, while ハフハフ is what you do when the hot food is already in your mouth.
Does it only apply to physical exhaustion?
No, you can use it figuratively when you are overwhelmed with tasks (like homework) or financial struggles.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1010970
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
- Previous entry
- ぴんぴん (pinpin)
- Next entry
- ふらっと (furatto)