こねる
こねる · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | こねる | こねない |
| Polite | こねます | こねません |
| Past polite | こねました | こねませんでした |
| Past | こねた | こねなかった |
| Te-form | こねて | こねないで |
| Desire | こねたい | こねたくない |
| Potential | こねられるalso こねれる | こねられないalso こねれない |
| Passive | こねられる | こねられない |
| Causative | こねさせる | こねさせない |
| Causative passive | こねさせられる | こねさせられない |
| Volitional | こねよう | |
| Polite volitional | こねましょう | |
| Imperative | こねろ | こねるな |
| Conditional | こねれば | こねなければ |
| Tara conditional | こねたら | こねなかったら |
Meanings
ichidan verb, transitive verb
knead; mix with fingers
Used for working a soft substance such as dough, clay, or paste by pressing and folding with the hands.
Before making bread, please knead the flour and water well.
The child kneaded clay and made animal shapes.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
quibble; argue for argument's sake
Figurative use: to pick at details or argue stubbornly over minor points, as if kneading a topic endlessly. Often used in the expression 理屈をこねる.
He always quibbles over small details.
No matter how much you argue, the result won't change.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉を捏ねるto knead something (dough, clay, etc.)
I kneaded the clay and made a pot.
- 駄々を捏ねるto whine and throw a tantrum (usu. of a child)
The child threw a tantrum, insisting on buying a toy.
- 理屈を捏ねるto argue pedantically, splitting hairs over logic
He always splits hairs and objects with pedantic arguments.
- 屁理屈を捏ねるto nitpick with flimsy, illogical reasoning
She wriggled out of apologizing with flimsy excuses.