つまむ

つ

ま

む

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

摘む · godan verb (-mu)

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

pinch; hold between fingers; pick up with chopsticks/tweezers

usually written using kana alone

General physical action of gripping something small between the fingertips or with a tool like chopsticks or tweezers.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

pick up and eat; snack on

usually written using kana alone

Specifically picking up food with fingers or chopsticks and eating it, often casually or as a light snack.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

pick out the main point; summarize; sum up

usually written using kana alone

Figurative use: extracting the essential part from a larger whole, like summarizing a story or argument.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

usually written using kana alone

Usually used in the passive form つままれる to describe being captivated or possessed by a fox, spirit, or strong emotion. Rare and somewhat literary.

狐きつねにつままれたような気き分ぶんだ。
I feel as if I've been bewitched by a fox (i.e., completely baffled).

鼻はなを摘つまむto pinch one's nose (against a bad smell)
生なまごみの臭においがひどくて鼻はなを摘つまんだ。
The smell from the garbage was so bad that I pinched my nose.
〈話はなし〉〉の要点ようてんを摘つまむto pick out and sum up the main points of a talk
彼かれは長ながい説せつ明めいの要よう点てんを摘つまんで話はなした。
He summarized the long explanation, picking out the main points.
狐きつねに摘つままれるto be bewitched, as if by a fox
まるで狐きつねに摘つままれたような不ふ思し議ぎな出で来き事ごとだった。
It was a strange event, as if I had been bewitched by a fox.
〈物もの〉〉を箸はしで摘つまむto pick something up with chopsticks
彼かれはお寿す司しを箸はしで摘つまんで口くちに入いれた。
He picked up the sushi with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

挟はさむN2sense 1
挟む means to hold something between two surfaces (fingers, a door, pages), while 摘む is specifically pinching something delicately with the fingertips or a tool like chopsticks.
要よう約やくN2sense 3
要約する is the formal, explicit act of condensing a text into a summary, while 摘む in this figurative sense casually means to pick out the key point.
憑つく sense 4
憑く is the general verb for a spirit possessing someone, while 摘む in its rare passive form つままれる specifically describes being bewitched or entranced, often by a fox.
掴つかむN3sense 1
掴む means to grasp firmly with the whole hand, whereas 摘む is a light, precise pinch using just the fingertips.
つねるN1
つねる means to pinch hard enough to cause pain, while つまむ means to pick up or hold something lightly between the fingers without necessarily causing pain.

摘つむN1
摘む read つむ means to pick or pluck something like flowers or tea leaves, while 摘む read つまむ means to pinch something between the fingertips.
積つむN3
積む means to pile up or load things, and sounds similar to 摘む, but 摘む means to pinch or pick something up delicately with the fingers.
掴つかむN3
摘む（つまむ）means to pinch or pick something up lightly with fingertips, unlike 掴む（つかむ）which means to grab firmly with the whole hand.

つまみ
knob; handle; control button · snack with drinks; bar snack; side dish · a pinch of · file handle; handle · picking; plucking; harvesting
おつまみ
snack to have with a drink; side dish
つまみもの
snack to have with a drink; side dish
かいつまむ
summarize; sum up; give the gist

摘つまむ
Standard kanji form; high priority.
つまむUsage95%
Kana spelling is very common and often preferred in everyday writing.
摘つまむUsage3%
Variant kanji spelling; less common than 摘む.
抓つまむUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
撮つまむUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 摘 is conventionally associated with the meaning 'to pick, pluck'.