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I'm not sure how to formulate this question, but some words bother me. Here's a sentence for you :

彼女はまだぶつぶつと呟いている。

I often see these kinds of words and sometimes, like this one, I can't find what it could mean. My dictionary says "grumble, mutter" and so on, but isn't that what 呟く means? Then, how do you use these words? Can these type of words be translated or are they just part of the Japanese language without being able to translate them into English? I feel like they can't be translated at all.

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    I often see these kinds of words-- You mean onomatopoeia/擬音語/擬態語/擬声語? japanese.stackexchange.com/a/5318/9831
    – chocolate ♦
    Commented Nov 23, 2017 at 14:26
  • Thank you! Oh, was it an onomatopoeia? Then, ぶつぶつ could be translated as the sound you make when you grumble? Jisho seems to give words, but you don't translate ぶつぶつ with a word, right?
    – Ushiromiya
    Commented Nov 23, 2017 at 14:43
  • It is often said "mumbling".
    – user25382
    Commented Nov 23, 2017 at 14:44
  • But "to murmur" or "to grumble" is 呟く, right? Then, ぶつぶつ can't be the same (in english at least).
    – Ushiromiya
    Commented Nov 23, 2017 at 14:45
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    ^ She is still saying, "Butsu butsu." <-- 人が小声で不満や文句を言っているとき、実際に、文字通りに、「ぶつぶつ。」と言うことはあるのでしょうか・・
    – chocolate ♦
    Commented Feb 4, 2018 at 2:19

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"She was muttering to herself".

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