噛む・咬む・嚙む・嚼む|かむkamu[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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Which spelling to use
噛む噛む is the most common mixed kanji-and-kana spelling. Beginners should use it as their default form.
咬む咬む is a less common mixed kanji-and-kana spelling. You may encounter it, but 噛む is the usual choice for beginners.
嚙む嚙む is a mixed kanji-and-kana spelling, but it is rarely used; learners will seldom encounter it.
嚼む嚼む is a mixed kanji-and-kana spelling, but it is rarely used; learners will seldom encounter it.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto bite
- godan verb, transitive verbto chew; to gnaw; to masticate
- godan verb, transitive verbto fumble one's words (esp. during a play, broadcast, etc.); to falter with one's words; to stutter; to stammer
- godan verb, transitive verbto crash against (e.g. of waves); to break onto (shore)
- godan verb, transitive verbto engage (of cogs, zippers, etc.); to mesh; to fit together
- godan verb, transitive verbto be involved in
- godan verb, transitive verbto convince; to persuadeused by Edo period prostitutes
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 噛む（かむ） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 噛みます（かみます） |
| Negative (nai) | 噛まない（かまない） |
| polite (masen) | 噛みません（かみません） |
| classical zu / nu | 噛まず・噛まぬ（かまず・かまぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 噛んだ（かんだ） |
| polite (mashita) | 噛みました（かみました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 噛まなかった（かまなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 噛みませんでした（かみませんでした） |
| Te form | 噛んで（かんで） |
| Potential | 噛める（かめる） |
| Passive | 噛まれる（かまれる） |
| Causative | 噛ませる（かませる） |
| Causative passive | 噛ませられる・噛まされる（かませられる・かまされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 噛めば（かめば） |
| tara | 噛んだら（かんだら） |
| Volitional | 噛もう（かもう） |
| polite (mashou) | 噛みましょう（かみましょう） |
| Imperative | 噛め（かめ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym噛み付くかみつくNeutralTo lunge in and bite — an animal attacking, or a person; also figuratively to snap back or talk back at someone, as in 「上司に噛み付く」.
- Synonym食らいつくくらいつくCasualColloquial. To bite down hard and refuse to let go; figuratively to hang on stubbornly or throw yourself into something, as in 「強豪に食らいつく」.
- Synonym咀嚼そしゃくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Chewing, or figuratively taking in and appreciating something, as in 「内容を咀嚼する」.
- Synonym食いつくくいつくCasualColloquial. Bites and holds on rather than just biting; figuratively, to latch onto a topic with eager interest, as in 「話に食いつく」.
- Related噛み砕くかみくだくNeutralTo chew something to pieces; figuratively to reword something difficult in plain, easy terms, as in 「噛み砕いて説明する」.
- Related噛み熟すかみこなすWrittenWritten/formal prose. To chew something until it can be swallowed; figuratively to digest it fully. Used less often than 噛む.
- Related噛み潰すかみつぶすNeutralTo chew something up and crush it, as in 「苦虫を噛み潰す」; the emphasis is on crushing it fine, not just chewing.
- Related噛み切るかみきるNeutralTo bite through and sever something, as in 「糸を噛み切る」; the point is cutting it off, not chewing it.
- Related食いちぎるくいちぎるCasualColloquial. To tear a piece off with a fierce bite, as in 「肉を食いちぎる」; the action is rougher than 噛む.
- Related食い切るくいきるNeutralTo bite through something, or to eat it up completely, as in 「全部食い切る」; can also mean consuming it entirely.
- Related噛み締めるかみしめるNeutralTo bite down hard, or figuratively to chew over and savor something slowly, as in 「喜びを噛み締める」.
For biting or chewing, 「噛む」 is the default. Use 「噛み付く」 for a snap or a retort, 「食いつく」 for biting and holding on, 「噛み砕く」 for chewing up or explaining plainly, 「噛み切る」 for biting through, 「噛み締める」 for savoring, and 「咀嚼」 in written prose.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
