はらむ

は

ら

む

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

はらむ · godan verb (-mu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	はらむ	はらまない
Polite	はらみます	はらみません
Past polite	はらみました	はらみませんでした
Past	はらんだ	はらまなかった
Te-form	はらんで	はらまないで
Desire	はらみたい	はらみたくない
Potential	はらめる	はらめない
Passive	はらまれる	はらまれない
Causative	はらませる	はらませない
Causative passive	はらませられるalso はらまされる	はらませられないalso はらまされない
Volitional	はらもう
Polite volitional	はらみましょう
Imperative	はらめ	はらむな
Conditional	はらめば	はらまなければ
Tara conditional	はらんだら	はらまなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb, intransitive verb

conceive; become pregnant

usually written using kana alone

Standard word for becoming pregnant. Used for humans and animals. Often written in kana.

彼かの女じょは第だい一いっ子しをはらんだ。
She conceived her first child.
猫ねこが子こをはらんでいる。
The cat is pregnant.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

swell with; fill with

usually written using kana alone

Describes something becoming filled or swollen, such as sails catching wind, buds swelling, or a river rising. Often used in literary or descriptive contexts.

帆ほが風かぜをはらんで進すすむ。
The sail swells with wind and moves forward.
つぼみがふくらみをはらむ。
The bud is swelling.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

contain; carry; involve

usually written using kana alone

Used for abstract things that contain or carry a potential problem, contradiction, risk, or consequence. Common in formal or analytical writing.

その計けい画かくは大おおきな危き険けんをはらんでいる。
The plan involves great risk.
彼かれの主しゅ張ちょうは矛む盾じゅんをはらんでいる。
His argument contains a contradiction.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

swell and ripen

usually written using kana alone

Specifically for plant ears, heads, or sprouts that become swollen and ripe. A somewhat specialized agricultural or botanical use.

稲いな穂ほがはらむ季き節せつになった。
It's the season when the rice ears swell and ripen.

See all 24 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が子こを孕はらむfor someone to become pregnant with a child
彼かの女じょは双ふた子ごを孕はらんでいることが分わかった。
It was discovered that she was pregnant with twins.
帆ほが風かぜを孕はらむfor a sail to fill with wind
船ふねの帆ほが風かぜを孕はらんで大おおきく膨ふくらんだ。
The ship's sail filled with wind and billowed out.
〈事こと〉が危き険けんを孕はらむfor something to carry an inherent risk
この計けい画かくは大おおきな危き険けんを孕はらんでいる。
This plan carries a significant risk.
穂ほが孕はらむfor ears of grain to swell and ripen
稲いねの穂ほがはらんできた。
The rice ears have begun to swell and ripen.
〈事こと〉が矛む盾じゅんを孕はらむfor something to contain a contradiction
彼かれの主しゅ張ちょうは根こん本ぽん的てきな矛む盾じゅんを孕はらんでいる。
His argument contains a fundamental contradiction.
〈事こと〉が問もん題だいを孕はらむfor something to carry potential problems
この政せい策さくは将しょう来らい的てきな問もん題だいを孕はらんでいる。
This policy carries future problems within it.

Kanji

孕become pregnant
妊pregnancy
胎womb, uterus

Related words

妊にん娠しんN2sense 1
妊娠する is the clinical, everyday term for becoming pregnant, while 孕む is more literary or poetic and can also describe non-human swelling or abstract containment.
含ふくむN3sense 3
含む is the neutral, general word for 'contain', whereas 孕む suggests containing something dynamic, latent, or potentially problematic, such as a risk or contradiction.
宿やどす sense 1
宿す emphasizes carrying or harboring something within oneself, including a child, while 孕む more specifically conveys physical swelling or pregnancy, and can also mean containing latent qualities.
抱かかえるN2sense 3
抱える means to actively hold or carry a burden or problem, while 孕む describes something inherently containing a latent risk or contradiction without an active agent.

Don't confuse with

産うむN2sense 1
産む means to give birth, the act of delivery, while 孕む means to become pregnant or carry within, referring to the earlier stage of gestation.

Word family

孕はらみ
conception; pregnancy
孕はらみ女おんな
pregnant woman
孕はらみ箸ばし
thick chopsticks with both ends equally thin

Written forms

はらむUsage65%
Kana spelling is standard for all senses; usually written in kana.
孕はらむUsage34%
Kanji spelling is common in literary or formal contexts, especially for the pregnancy sense.
妊はらむUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
胎はらむ
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. Possibly related to はら (腹, belly) with a verbal suffix, but the derivation is not firmly established.