曲げる・枉げる|まげるmageru[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
曲げる曲げる is the most common form, written with kanji and kana. It is the form beginners should choose for general writing and study.
枉げる枉げる is a rarely used variant, also written with kanji and kana. You will seldom encounter it, so beginners should normally use 曲げる instead.
Definitions
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto bend; to crook; to bow; to curve; to curl
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto lean; to tilt; to incline; to slant
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto bend (the truth); to distort; to twist; to pervert
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto yield (a point); to depart (from a principle); to ignore (what one really thinks)
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto pawn
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 曲げる（まげる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 曲げます（まげます） |
| Negative (nai) | 曲げない（まげない） |
| polite (masen) | 曲げません（まげません） |
| classical zu / nu | 曲げず・曲げぬ（まげず・まげぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 曲げた（まげた） |
| polite (mashita) | 曲げました（まげました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 曲げなかった（まげなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 曲げませんでした（まげませんでした） |
| Te form | 曲げて（まげて） |
| Potential | 曲げられる（まげられる） |
| Passive | 曲げられる（まげられる） |
| Causative | 曲げさせる（まげさせる） |
| Causative passive | 曲げさせられる（まげさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 曲げれば（まげれば） |
| tara | 曲げたら（まげたら） |
| Volitional | 曲げよう（まげよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 曲げましょう（まげましょう） |
| Imperative | 曲げろ（まげろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
道が曲がる
針金を曲げる
曲がる describes something that bends or curves on its own (as in 道が曲がる), while 曲げる describes an agent deliberately bending something (as in 針金を曲げる).
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym折り曲げるおりまげるNeutralTo bend by folding, even doubling over (「紙を折り曲げる」); the emphasis is on the fold.
- Related曲がるまがるNeutralIntransitive: to bend or to turn (「道が曲がる」); 「曲げる」 is the transitive counterpart.
- RelatedねじるNeutralTo twist (「腕をねじる」); the emphasis is on rotation rather than bending.
- Related湾曲わんきょくWrittenA noun for bending into an arc (「背骨の湾曲」); typical of written, formal prose.
- RelatedひねるNeutralThe same word as the 「ねじる」 above, also written 「捻る」; it can also mean to sprain (「足首をねじる」), whereas 「曲げる」 is bending.
- Relatedねじ曲げるねじまげるNeutralColloquial: to bend something by twisting it, and by extension to distort facts, as in 「事実をねじ曲げる」.
- Relatedひん曲げるひんまげるCasualColloquial and rough in tone: to bend or wrench something with great force.
- Related歪めるゆがめるNeutralTo deform or distort (「顔を歪める」「真実を歪める」).
- Antonym正すただすNeutralWritten 「質す」, it means to ask and confirm; only the homophonous 「正す」 means to straighten or correct, and that is the opposite of 「曲げる」.
- Antonym直すなおすNeutralTo correct, fix or repair; it is the opposite of 「曲げる」, which bends or distorts.
Bend or distort something with 「曲げる」 (「腰を曲げる」「信念を曲げない」); the intransitive is 「曲がる」, twisting is 「ねじる」, distorting facts 「歪める」 or 「ねじ曲げる」, folding 「折り曲げる」. The opposite is 「直す」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
