ひねる・捻る・拈る・撚るhineru[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

JLPT N2approx.Common
Definitions
  1. godan verb, transitive verbto twist; to wrench; to turn (a tap, switch, etc.)
  2. godan verb, transitive verbto twist (a body part); to bend; to sprain
    私は石いしにつまずいて、足首あしくびをひねってしまった。↗
    I tripped on a stone, twisting my ankle.
  3. godan verb, transitive verbto strangle (to death); to wring (an animal's neck)
  4. godan verb, transitive verbto defeat easily; to beat
  5. godan verb, transitive verbto make (a problem, design, etc.) intricate; to make peculiar; to make complicated
  6. godan verb, transitive verbto manage to compose (a haiku, song, etc.)
  7. godan verb, transitive verbto wrap (a monetary gift) in paper
Conjugation
Dictionary formひねる
Polite (masu)ひねります
Negative (nai)ひねらない
polite (masen)ひねりません
classical zu / nuひねらず・ひねらぬ
Past (ta)ひねった
polite (mashita)ひねりました
Past negative (nakatta)ひねらなかった
polite (masen deshita)ひねりませんでした
Te formひねって
Potentialひねれる
Passiveひねられる
Causativeひねらせる
Causative passiveひねらせられる・ひねらされる
Conditional (ba)ひねれば
taraひねったら
Volitionalひねろう
polite (mashou)ひねりましょう
Imperativeひねれ

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • SynonymねじるNeutralMeans twisting or wrenching something with force, as in 「腕をねじる」; the focus is on the twisting itself. 「捻る」 also covers turning taps or switches and racking your brains.
  • RelatedねじれるNeutralIntransitive: something is or becomes twisted or crooked, including a warped mind or strained relationship. 「捻る」 is transitive, twisting something by hand.

Use 「捻る」 for turning a tap, sprains, or racking your brains, as in 「頭を捻る」; use 「捩る」 for forceful twisting, and 「捩れる」 to say something is or ends up in a twisted state.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. わざと通常つうじょうと異ことなる風体ふうたいをする、一風いっぷう変かわったことをする。特別とくべつな趣向しゅこうを加くわえる。
  2. 指先ゆびさきに挟はさんでねじ回まわす、つまんで曲まげめぐらす。
  3. (囘ほい轉る)身体しんたいの一部いちぶを曲まげめぐらす、曲まげる、ねじる。
  4. 圧倒あっとうした力ちからで余裕よゆうをもって勝かつ。
  5. 考かんがえ工夫くふうする、考案こうあんする。俳句はいくなどを作つくる。
  6. 金かねを紙かみに包つつんで渡わたす。
  7. 年としを経へて古ふるびる。
  8. 大人おとなびる、ませる。
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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