Translation guide
The English verb 'bend' covers a range of actions from physically curving something to changing rules or yielding. Japanese uses different verbs depending on what is being bent, how, and whether the action is transitive or intransitive.
To apply force to make a straight object curved or angled, such as bending a wire, pipe, or rod.
General transitive verb for bending something flexible or rigid. Works for wires, bars, pipes, and also for bending joints like knees or elbows.
I bent the wire and made a hook.
He easily bent the spoon.
To bend by folding or creasing, often used for paper, thin metal, or when a sharp angle is created.
Please bend the paper in half.
Technical term for causing something to curve, often used in engineering or scientific contexts.
Apply heat to bend the pipe.
To describe something that becomes bent by itself, due to force, weight, or natural growth.
General intransitive verb for something bending or curving. Used for roads, trees, objects under weight, etc.
This road bends to the right.
The shelf bent under the weight.
To bend flexibly without breaking, like a fishing rod or a thin branch. Implies elasticity.
To bend under weight or pressure, often used poetically for branches or slender things.
To flex or move a joint or body part, like bending your knees, elbows, or back.
Same transitive verb as above, used for joints. Often paired with body part + を.
Please bend your knees and sit down.
I bent my back and bowed.
Used for bending fingers or toes at the knuckle, often in counting or gestures. Can also mean 'break' so context matters.
When used with larger joints or objects, 折る usually means 'break' or 'snap', not simply 'bend'.
To change or stretch rules, facts, or principles to suit one's needs.
To submit or give in to someone else's demands or wishes.
To cause light, a trajectory, or a path to curve.
曲げる (まげる) means to bend without breaking, while 折る (おる) often implies breaking or snapping. For bending fingers or folding paper, 折る is used, but for bending a wire or a knee, use 曲げる.
Bend a wire vs break a branch
The loanword ベンド is rarely used in Japanese except in specific compound terms like ベンドパイプ (bend pipe) or in music (bend a note). For general bending, use native verbs.
The road bends sharply to the left.
He bent the metal bar with his bare hands.
She bent down to pick up the coin.
The fishing rod bent deeply.
The bamboo was bending under the snow.
Bend your fingers to count numbers.