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口ごもる (くちごもる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
hesitate to speak ; falter ; mumble ; hem and haw
Describes the act of speaking unclearly or with hesitation, often due to embarrassment, nervousness, or reluctance to say something directly. The verb is intransitive and typically used for the speaker's own speech.
名な 前まえ を 聞き か れ て 、 彼かの 女じょ は 口くち ごもっ た 。
When asked her name, she hesitated to answer.
Written forms 口くち ごもる Usage 88%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; the most common written form.
口くち 籠ごも る Usage 7%
Variant using 籠 (a non-jōyō kanji); rarely seen.
口くち 籠ご もる Usage 5%
Variant using 籠 (a non-jōyō kanji); rarely seen.
口くち 篭ご もる
Variant using 篭 (a non-jōyō kanji); rarely seen.
口くち 篭ごも る
Abbreviated variant; very rare.
Kanji 籠 basket, devote oneself, seclude oneself 篭 seclude oneself, cage, coop Similar words 言い い 淀よど む 言い淀む also means to hesitate in speech, but it often implies a pause or stumbling mid-sentence, while 口ごもる focuses more on mumbling or speaking unclearly due to reluctance.
口くち を 濁にご す 口を濁す means to speak ambiguously or evasively to avoid a direct answer, whereas 口ごもる describes the physical act of faltering or mumbling.
Etymology Compound of 口 (kuchi, 'mouth') and ごもる (gomoru), an older verb meaning 'to be blocked' or 'to be clogged', related to 籠もる (komoru, 'to seclude oneself'). The combination conveys the idea of words being stuck in the mouth.
