なめる・舐める・嘗める・甞めるnameru[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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- ichidan verb, transitive verbto lick; to lap; to suck
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto taste
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto experience (esp. a hardship)
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto underestimate; to make light of; to look down on (someone); to make a fool of; to treat with contempt; to disparagealso written as ナメる and 無礼る俺をなめるな。↗Don't make light of me.
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto lick (at; of flames); to burn
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | なめる |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | なめます |
| Negative (nai) | なめない |
| polite (masen) | なめません |
| classical zu / nu | なめず・なめぬ |
| Past (ta) | なめた |
| polite (mashita) | なめました |
| Past negative (nakatta) | なめなかった |
| polite (masen deshita) | なめませんでした |
| Te form | なめて |
| Potential | なめられる |
| Passive | なめられる |
| Causative | なめさせる |
| Causative passive | なめさせられる |
| Conditional (ba) | なめれば |
| tara | なめたら |
| Volitional | なめよう |
| polite (mashou) | なめましょう |
| Imperative | なめろ |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- SynonymねぶるNeutralMeans to lick or suck, but is far less common and carries a dialectal or old-fashioned flavor; everyday speech uses 「舐める」 or 「しゃぶる」.
- Related味わうあじわうNeutralMeans to taste or go through, as in 「料理を味わう」「苦しみを味わう」, stressing taking the experience in fully, pleasant or not; 「舐める」 can also mean to look down on someone.
Use 「なめる」 for licking with the tongue or tasting hardship, as in 「アメをなめる」「辛酸をなめる」; it can also mean to look down on someone. To savor something slowly, choose 「味わう」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


