練ねる

ね

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

練る · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	練ねる	練ねらない
Polite	練ねります	練ねりません
Past polite	練ねりました	練ねりませんでした
Past	練ねった	練ねらなかった
Te-form	練ねって	練ねらないで
Desire	練ねりたい	練ねりたくない
Potential	練ねれる	練ねれない
Passive	練ねられる	練ねられない
Causative	練ねらせる	練ねらせない
Causative passive	練ねらせられるalso 練ねらされる	練ねらせられないalso 練ねらされない
Volitional	練ねろう
Polite volitional	練ねりましょう
Imperative	練ねれ	練ねるな
Conditional	練ねれば	練ねらなければ
Tara conditional	練ねったら	練ねらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

knead; thicken into paste

Physical action of working dough, clay, or similar substances by hand, or stirring a mixture over heat until it thickens.

パンを作つくる前まえに、小こ麦むぎ粉こをよく練ねる。
Before making bread, knead the flour well.
鍋なべで小こ麦むぎ粉ことバターを練ねって、ルーを作つくる。
Stir flour and butter in a pan to make a roux.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

polish; refine; work out

Metaphorical extension: improving an idea, plan, or argument through careful thought and revision.

企き画かく書しょをもう少すこし練ねってから提てい出しゅつしよう。
Let's polish the proposal a bit more before submitting it.
彼かれは自じ分ぶんの考かんがえを何なん度ども練ねり直なおした。
He reworked his ideas many times.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

train; drill; exercise

Used for physical or mental training, often in sports or martial arts, emphasizing repeated practice to improve skill or strength.

毎まい朝あさ、道どう場じょうで体からだを練ねっている。
Every morning I train my body at the dojo.
彼かれは実じっ戦せんを想そう定ていして戦せん術じゅつを練ねった。
He drilled tactics assuming actual combat.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

gloss silk; soften; degum

Specialized textile term: treating raw silk to remove sericin and give it luster and softness.

生き糸いとを練ねって光こう沢たくを出だす。
Raw silk is degummed to bring out its luster.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

tan leather

Specialized term for treating animal hides to make leather.

職しょく人にんが皮かわを練ねって柔やわらかくする。
The craftsman tans the hide to soften it.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

temper steel

Metallurgical term: heating and cooling steel to adjust its hardness and toughness.

刀かたな鍛冶かじは鋼はがねを何なん度ども練ねる。
The swordsmith tempers the steel repeatedly.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

walk in procession; parade; march

Intransitive use; describes people moving in a formal, often slow, procession. The rare kanji 邌る is specifically associated with this sense.

祭まつりの行ぎょう列れつが町まちを練ねり歩あるく。
The festival procession parades through the town.

See all 170 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を練ねるto knead (dough, clay, etc.)
陶とう芸げい家かは粘ねん土どを丁てい寧ねいに練ねった。
The potter carefully kneaded the clay.
文ぶん章しょうを練ねるto polish or refine a piece of writing
何なん度ども文ぶん章しょうを練ねってから発はっ表ぴょうした。
I polished the writing many times before presenting it.
〈物もの〉の技わざを練ねるto train and refine a skill or technique
選せん手しゅたちは剣けんの技わざを練ねった。
The athletes trained and honed their swordsmanship.
鋼はがねを練ねるto temper steel by repeated heating and cooling
刀とう匠しょうは鋼はがねを何なん度ども練ねって強きょう度どを高たかめた。
The swordsmith tempered the steel repeatedly to increase its strength.

Expressions

想そうを練ねるthink deeply; turn over in one's mind
武ぶを練ねるtrain in military arts
策さくを練ねるplan one's next moves; work out a plan

Kanji

練practice, gloss, train
煉refine metals, kneading over fire
錬tempering, refine, drill
邌parade, walk slowly

Transitive / intransitive

練る is normally transitive (物を練る 'to knead something'), but in the procession sense it is used intransitively (列を練る is not natural; instead 行列が練る 'the procession moves along').

Related words

鍛きたえるN2sense 3
鍛える stresses forging metal or strengthening the body/mind through hard training, while 練る (training sense) emphasizes refining skill through repeated practice.
磨みがくN5sense 2
磨く means to physically polish something or refine a skill, while 練る focuses on working out and improving the details of a plan or idea.
こねる sense 1
こねる is a casual word for kneading dough or clay, while 練る is broader and covers both this physical sense and metaphorical or technical uses.

Don't confuse with

寝ねるN5
寝る (to sleep) and 練る (to knead, to polish a plan) are pronounced identically but are completely unrelated in meaning.

Word family· 29

練ねり
kneading; tempering; gloss · paste; pasty mixture · parading of portable shrines; festival procession
練ねり歩あるく
parade; march; walk in procession
練ねり物もの
paste products; fish paste; sweets made from paste · parade float; procession float
お練ねり
parading of portable shrines and floats at Shinto festivals
固かた練ねり
stiff consistency; thick paste

Show 8 more

練ねり土つち
rammed earth; pisé · pottery paste; clay body
練ねり粉こ
dough; batter
練ねり糸いと
glossy silk thread
練ねり紅べに
muddy-colored lipstick; muddy rouge
練ねり薬ぐすり
electuary; medicinal paste
練ねり餌え
paste bird feed · paste fishing bait
肝きも練ねり
dare; test of courage · Russian roulette-style game
練ねりうに
seasoned sea urchin paste

See all 29 in Explore →

Written forms

練ねるUsage85%
Standard kanji for kneading, polishing, training, and most senses.
ねるUsage14%
煉ねるUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; sometimes used for tempering metal or refining.
錬ねるUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; sometimes used for tempering metal or training.
邌ねる
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form specifically for walking in procession.

Etymology

The core meaning is 'to work something by hand or mind until it becomes smooth, uniform, or refined'. The kanji 練 carries the idea of kneading and refining. The historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is native Japanese.