もめる

も

め

る

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

もめる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	もめる	もめない
Polite	もめます	もめません
Past polite	もめました	もめませんでした
Past	もめた	もめなかった
Te-form	もめて	もめないで
Desire	もめたい	もめたくない
Potential	もめられるalso もめれる	もめられないalso もめれない
Passive	もめられる	もめられない
Causative	もめさせる	もめさせない
Causative passive	もめさせられる	もめさせられない
Volitional	もめよう
Polite volitional	もめましょう
Imperative	もめろ	もめるな
Conditional	もめれば	もめなければ
Tara conditional	もめたら	もめなかったら

Pairs withもむ

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

disagree; clash; have trouble

usually written using kana alone

Describes people or groups having a disagreement, dispute, or friction. Often implies an ongoing or unresolved conflict rather than a single fight.

会かい議ぎで意い見けんがもめて、なかなか決きまらなかった。
Opinions clashed at the meeting, and it took a long time to decide.
相そう続ぞくのことで親しん族ぞくともめている。
I'm having a dispute with my relatives over the inheritance.

See all 16 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉で揉もめるto have trouble/dispute over something
遺い産さんのことで親しん族ぞくが揉もめている。
The relatives are in dispute over the inheritance.
〈人ひと〉と揉もめるto have friction/a dispute with someone
隣となりの家いえの人ひとと境きょう界かい線せんのことで揉もめた。
I had a dispute with my neighbor over the property line.
話はなしが揉もめるfor talks/negotiations to run into trouble
契けい約やくの条じょう件けんで話はなしが揉もめて、なかなか決きまらない。
The talks got bogged down over the contract terms and things aren't getting settled.

Kanji

揉rub, massage, shampoo

Transitive / intransitive

もむN2
揉む is transitive, to stir up or hash out an argument, while 揉める is intransitive, for a situation or relationship to become discordant on its own.

Related words

喧けん嘩かN4
喧嘩する describes a direct, often loud or physical fight, while 揉める points to ongoing friction or unresolved disagreement without necessarily any open confrontation.
争あらそうN3
争う is a broader, more formal verb for contending or competing over something, whereas 揉める is about interpersonal friction and messy complications in a situation.
こじれるN1
こじれる emphasizes a relationship or situation twisting and worsening over time, while 揉める emphasizes the disagreement or friction itself, often among multiple parties.
紛ふん糾きゅう
紛糾する is a formal word for a meeting or negotiation falling into confusion and dispute, while 揉める is a more everyday word usable for any kind of interpersonal or group trouble.

Don't confuse with

もむN2
揉む is a transitive verb meaning to rub or massage something physically, while 揉める is an intransitive verb meaning to have a dispute or friction, and though they share kanji their meanings have diverged.

Word family

揉もめ事ごと
quarrel; dispute; trouble; friction
揉もめ
quarrel; dispute; trouble

Written forms

もめるUsage70%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
揉もめるUsage21%
Kanji form is recognized but the word is usually written in kana.
モメるUsage9%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling sometimes used for emphasis or in casual writing.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 揉む (もむ, 'to rub, knead, or chafe'), with the intransitive/potential-like ending 〜える, suggesting a state of being chafed or rubbed the wrong way, leading to friction or disagreement.