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Kotomora

揉

rub, massage, shampoo, debate vigorously, train, coach, worry, get in trouble

Strokes12

Readings

On'yomi

  • ジュウ

Kun'yomi

  • も.む
  • も.める

Meaning

揉 centers on applying pressure with the hands to work something: rubbing, massaging, or kneading. The extended senses of vigorous debate, training, and worry all grow from the idea of working something over repeatedly until it softens or changes.

Most common words using 揉

20 of 21
  • 揉むもむ
    N2

    to rub; to crumple

  • 揉めるもめる
    N2

    to disagree; to dispute; to fight (over)

  • 揉め事もめごと

    quarrel; fight; trouble; dispute; friction; discord

  • 揉み合いもみあい

    jostle; struggle; scuffle

  • 揉みくちゃもみくちゃ

    jostling; being jostled; being mobbed; (in a) crush

  • 手揉み茶てもみちゃ

    tea rolled by hand over a dryer (old production method); hand-rolled tea

  • 揉まれるもまれる

    to be knocked about; to be tossed about; to be jostled

  • 揉みくしゃもみくしゃ

    jostling; being jostled; being mobbed; (in a) crush

  • 揉みくたもみくた

    jostling; being jostled; being mobbed; (in a) crush

  • 揉みしだくもみしだく

    to crumple (up); to wrinkle

  • 揉みほぐすもみほぐす

    to massage

  • 揉み出すもみだす

    to squeeze out

  • 揉み手もみで

    rubbing one's hands together

  • 揉み揉みもみもみ

    massage; rub

  • 揉み療治もみりょうじ

    (therapeutic) massage

  • 揉み立てるもみたてる

    to crumple; to collapse

  • 揉み返しもみかえし

    muscle pain caused in reaction to excess massaging

  • 揉めもめ

    quarrel; trouble; dispute

  • 揉捻じゅうねん

    rolling freshly picked tea-leaves; crushing tea

  • 揉烏帽子もみえぼし

    soft, crumpled, unlacquered headwear (often worn by soldiers under their helmets from the Kamakura period onward)

Explore all words using 揉 →

Study

Etymology

揉 combines 扌 (hand) with 柔 (soft, gentle), suggesting the action of softening or working something by hand. The phonetic contribution from 柔 is likely, but the exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

A hand 扌 works on something soft 柔: imagine kneading dough or massaging shoulders until they become pliable. That repeated working motion extends to training, debating, and even worrying a problem.

Reading mnemonic

For ジュウ, picture a jeweler gently rubbing a soft gem: jew -> ジュウ, and the hand 扌 massages the soft 柔 stone.