口くちずさむ

く

ち

ず

さ

む

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

hum; sing to oneself; croon

To sing or hum a tune softly, often absentmindedly or for one's own enjoyment. The object is typically a song or melody.

彼かれはよく古ふるい歌うたを口くちずさむ。
He often hums old songs to himself.
歩あるきながら好すきなメロディーを口くちずさんだ。
I hummed my favorite melody while walking.

Written forms

口くちずさむUsage93%
Standard modern spelling using 口 and kana for the remainder.
くちずさむUsage4%
口遊くちずさむUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; the character 遊 suggests a playful or leisurely nuance.
口吟くちずさむ
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; 吟 implies reciting or chanting, but this spelling is seldom used.

Kanji

口mouth
遊play
吟versify, singing, recital

Similar words

歌うたう
歌う means to sing aloud, often for an audience, while 口ずさむ is softer, more private, and often done unconsciously.
鼻はな歌うた
鼻歌 is humming with the nose, whereas 口ずさむ can involve soft singing or humming with the mouth.

Etymology

Compound of 口 (kuchi, 'mouth') and ずさむ (zusamu, an old verb meaning 'to do casually' or 'to amuse oneself'). The kanji 遊 and 吟 are ateji or rare alternatives reflecting the leisurely or recitative nuance.