ねじを巻まく

ね

じ

を

ま

く

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-ku)

wind up; wind (a spring, clock, etc.)

Literal meaning: to wind a spring or mechanism by turning a screw or key. Commonly used for clocks, watches, and toys.

毎まい朝あさ、時計とけいのねじを巻まく。
I wind the clock every morning.
このおもちゃはねじを巻まくと歩あるき出だす。
This toy starts walking when you wind it up.

2

expression, godan verb (-ku)

give a push; prod into action; make shape up

idiomatic expression

Idiomatic use: to urge or motivate someone, often by scolding or pressuring them to improve their behavior or performance.

彼かれは怠なまけているから、一いち度どねじを巻まいてやらないと。
He's been slacking off, so I need to give him a good prodding.
上じょう司しにねじを巻まかれて、やっと仕し事ごとに取とりかかった。
After being pushed by my boss, I finally got down to work.

Written forms

ねじを巻まく
Standard kana-kanji mixed spelling; the most common written form.
ネジを巻まく
Katakana spelling for ねじ, often used in technical or mechanical contexts.
螺子ねじを巻まく
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; 螺子 is seldom used in modern writing.

Kanji

巻scroll, volume, book
螺small, edible, helical fresh-water mollusk
子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM

Similar words

巻まく
The verb 巻く alone means 'to wind' or 'to roll up' and is used in many contexts; ねじを巻く is a specific expression for winding a screw or spring, and idiomatically for motivating someone.
叱しかる
叱る means 'to scold' and focuses on reprimanding; ねじを巻く implies a motivational push, which may involve scolding but is more about spurring action.

Etymology

Literally 'to wind a screw'. The idiomatic sense comes from the image of tightening a screw to make a mechanism work properly, applied to people who need a push to get moving.