おなら（おなら、onara）
- fart

The Japanese word おなら (pronounced "onara") refers to flatulence, or the act of passing gas from the body. It's a common bodily function. ⚫︎ It is considered a relatively informal term. ⚫︎ It describes the audible or inaudible release of gas from the anus. ⚫︎ While generally understood, it's often considered impolite to directly mention おなら in very formal situations.

⚫︎ 昨日、たくさんビールを飲んだから、[おなら］がたくさん出た。 Translation: I drank a lot of beer yesterday, so I had a lot of flatulence. ⚫︎ 授業中に大きな［おなら］をして、恥ずかしかった。 Translation: I passed gas loudly during class, and I was embarrassed.

⚫︎おなら is suitable for casual conversations among friends and family. ⚫︎ It is best to avoid using おなら directly in formal settings like business meetings or when speaking to someone you don't know well. In such situations, it's generally best to avoid the topic altogether. ⚫︎ You might use it when talking about something that happened, e.g., "I heard someone's [おなら]..."

⚫︎ おなら is typically written in hiragana. ⚫︎ There is no kanji form for おなら. ⚫︎ There are no variations in okurigana.

⚫︎ There aren't really direct synonyms. The topic is often avoided altogether in more formal settings. ⚫︎ In some contexts, you could use more indirect phrases, such as describing the action itself, for example, おならをする ("to pass gas").

⚫︎ There are no direct antonyms for おなら.

急にお腹が痛くなって、[おなら]が出そうになった。 ・Translation: Suddenly my stomach hurt, and I felt like I was going to pass gas. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the feeling of needing to pass gas.

静かな図書館で、変な[おなら]の音がした。 ・Translation: I heard a strange fart sound in the quiet library. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the sound of flatulence in a place where it is inappropriate.

The etymology of おなら isn't definitively known. However, it's believed to be a combination of sounds and onomatopoeia related to the act of passing gas.