Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Words Kanji Guides About

なだめる Japanese meaning | Kotomora

なだめる

な

だ

め

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, transitive verb

soothe; calm down; pacify

usually written using kana alone

Used for calming an angry, upset, or agitated person, often through gentle words or actions.

泣ないている子こ供どもをなだめるのに苦く労ろうした。
I had a hard time soothing the crying child.

彼かれは怒おこっている客きゃくをなだめようとした。

He tried to calm down the angry customer.

Written forms

なだめるUsage84%
Kana spelling is standard for this word; the kanji 宥 is uncommon.
宥なだめるUsage16%
Kanji form; usually written in kana.

Kanji

宥soothe, calm, pacify

Similar words

落おち着つかせる
落ち着かせる is more general for calming someone or something down, while なだめる specifically implies soothing through gentle persuasion or comfort.
静しずめる
静める can mean to quiet or suppress noise, pain, or excitement, and is less focused on emotional soothing than なだめる.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain; it may be related to the classical verb なだむ (to calm). The kanji 宥 carries the meaning of 'soothe' or 'pacify' and is used here as a semantic match.