Translation guide
The English verb 'sew' refers to joining or repairing fabric using a needle and thread. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 縫う (nuu), but the best choice depends on what you are making or mending.
To join pieces of fabric together with a needle and thread, typically to make or repair clothing.
The standard verb for sewing. Covers most general sewing actions.
母は私のドレスを縫ってくれた。
My mother sewed a dress for me.
She sews a little bit of the quilt every day.
A slightly more formal term for sewing, often used for dressmaking or tailoring.
She is good at sewing.
To repair a tear or hole in fabric by sewing.
To attach a button to fabric using thread.
To stitch a wound or surgical incision.
To sew the pages of a book together.
Used for binding books or papers together, often by sewing or stapling.
I sewed the handmade notebook together with thread.
The English word 'sew' is pronounced like 'so', but learners sometimes confuse it with 'saw' (past tense of 'see'). In Japanese, 縫う (nuu) is completely different from 見る (miru).
縫う is always transitive; it takes an object marked by を. For example, 布を縫う (sew cloth). There is no common intransitive counterpart.
This jacket can still be worn if I mend it.
I sewed up the torn shirt.
I got three stitches where I cut myself when I fell.