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歯車が噛み合う (はぐるまがかみあう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

歯は車ぐるまが噛かみ合あう

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-u)

mesh (gears); be in sync (people, organizations)

Literally describes gears meshing; figuratively used when people, plans, or organizations work together smoothly.

この機き械かいは歯は車ぐるまが噛かみ合あっていないようだ。
It seems the gears in this machine aren't meshing.
彼かれらは意い見けんが

合あ

わ

ず

、

歯は

車ぐるま

が

噛か

み

合あ

わ

なかっ

た

。

They couldn't agree and didn't get in sync.

Written forms

歯は車ぐるまが噛かみ合あう
Standard kanji spelling using 噛み合う.
歯は車ぐるまがかみ合あう
Variant with かみ合う in kana; common in everyday writing.

Kanji

歯tooth, cog
車car
合fit, suit, join
噛chew, bite, gnaw

Similar words

噛かみ合あう
噛み合う alone means 'to mesh' or 'to engage' for gears, or 'to get along' for people. 歯車が噛み合う is a specific phrase emphasizing the gear metaphor.

Etymology

Compound of 歯車 (gear) + が (subject marker) + 噛み合う (to mesh, to engage). The figurative sense extends the mechanical image to human relationships.