噛かむ

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

bite

General term for biting with teeth. Can be used for people, animals, or insects.

• 犬いぬに手てを噛かまれた。

  I was bitten on the hand by a dog.

• 蚊かに足あしを噛かまれてかゆい。

  A mosquito bit my leg and it's itchy.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

chew; gnaw; masticate

Focuses on the action of grinding food with teeth. よく噛んで食べる is a common phrase.

• 食たべ物ものはよく噛かんで食たべましょう。

  Let's chew our food well.

• ガムを噛かみながら話はなすのは失しつ礼れいだ。

  It's rude to talk while chewing gum.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

fumble one's words; stutter; stammer

Used when someone trips over their words, especially in performance or broadcasting. Often appears as 言葉を噛む or セリフを噛む.

• 緊きん張ちょうしてスピーチで言こと葉ばを噛かんでしまった。

  I got nervous and stumbled over my words during the speech.

• アナウンサーがニュースを読よんでいて噛かんだ。

  The announcer fumbled while reading the news.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

crash against; break onto

Describes waves hitting the shore or rocks. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts.

• 荒あら波なみが岩いわを激はげしく噛かんでいる。

  The rough waves are crashing hard against the rocks.

• 海かい岸がんに噛かむ波なみの音おとが聞きこえる。

  I can hear the sound of waves breaking onto the shore.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

engage; mesh; fit together

Used for mechanical parts like gears or zippers that interlock. Often in the form 歯車が噛む or ファスナーが噛む.

• 二ふたつの歯は車ぐるまがうまく噛かんでいない。

  The two gears are not meshing properly.

• ファスナーが噛かんで動うごかなくなった。

  The zipper got stuck and won't move.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

be involved in

Used in the idiom 一枚噛む (いちまいかむ), meaning to have a hand in something or be involved in a scheme or project.

See also: 一枚噛む

• 彼かれはその計けい画かくに一いち枚まい噛かんでいるらしい。

  It seems he has a hand in that plan.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

convince; persuade

Archaic usage, historically used by Edo period prostitutes. Not used in modern Japanese.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの遊ゆう女じょが客きゃくを噛かむという表ひょう現げんがあった。

  There was an expression that Edo period prostitutes would 'bite' (persuade) customers.