もたれる

も

た

れ

る

Common wordJLPTN2

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

lean against; lean on; recline on

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person or thing resting their weight against something for support. Often used with に or へ.

彼かれは壁かべにもたれて立たっていた。
He was standing leaning against the wall.

ソファにもたれて本ほんを読よむ。

I lean back on the sofa and read a book.

2

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

lie heavy on the stomach; be hard to digest

usually written using kana alone

Used for food that feels heavy or sits uneasily in the stomach. Often appears as 胃にもたれる or 胸にもたれる.

脂あぶらっこい料りょう理りは胃いにもたれる。
Greasy food lies heavy on the stomach.

Written forms

もたれるUsage80%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 凭れる and 靠れる are rare.
凭もたれるUsage18%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; not commonly used.
靠もたれるUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; not commonly used.

Kanji

凭lean on, recline on, lie heavy
靠lean on

Similar words

寄よりかかる
寄りかかる also means 'to lean against', but often implies leaning with more weight or dependence, and can be used figuratively for relying on someone.
もたげる
もたげる is a transitive verb meaning 'to lift up' or 'to raise', not directly related in meaning despite the similar sound.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 持つ (もつ, 'to hold') with the auxiliary verb れる, originally meaning 'to be held' or 'to be supported', which developed into the modern sense of leaning against something.