まとう

ま

と

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

まとう · godan verb (-u)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	まとう	まとわない
Polite	まといます	まといません
Past polite	まといました	まといませんでした
Past	まとった	まとわなかった
Te-form	まとって	まとわないで
Desire	まといたい	まといたくない
Potential	まとえる	まとえない
Passive	まとわれる	まとわれない
Causative	まとわせる	まとわせない
Causative passive	まとわせられるalso まとわされる	まとわせられないalso まとわされない
Volitional	まとおう
Polite volitional	まといましょう
Imperative	まとえ	まとうな
Conditional	まとえば	まとわなければ
Tara conditional	まとったら	まとわなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

put on; wear; be wrapped in

usually written using kana alone

Describes wearing or draping something over the body, often with a nuance of enveloping or wrapping oneself in clothing, mist, or an atmosphere. More literary than 着る.

彼かの女じょは美うつくしい着き物ものをまとっていた。
She was clad in a beautiful kimono.
山さん頂ちょうは霧きりにまとわれていた。
The mountain peak was wrapped in mist.

See all 100 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を纏まとうto wear or be wrapped in something
彼かの女じょは白しろい布ぬのを纏まとっていた。
She was draped in white cloth.
雰ふん囲い気きを纏まとうto carry or be enveloped in a certain atmosphere
彼かれは神しん秘ぴ的てきな雰ふん囲い気きを纏まとっている。
He carries a mysterious air about him.
香かおりを纏まとうto be enveloped in a scent
彼かの女じょは甘あまい香かおりを纏まとっていた。
She was enveloped in a sweet scent.

Kanji

纏wear, wrap, tie

Related words

着きるN5
着る is the everyday verb for putting on clothes, while 纏う is more literary and stresses being enveloped or draped in something.
身みにつけるN2
身に着ける is a common, neutral expression for putting on clothes or accessories, while 纏う is poetic and less used in daily speech.

Opposites

脱ぬぐN5
脱ぐ means to take off clothing, the opposite action of 纏う, which means to put on or be wrapped in something.

Don't confuse with

纏まつわる
纏う means to wear or be wrapped in something, while 纏わる means to coil or cling around something and shares the same kanji, causing confusion.
まとめるN3
纏う means to wrap or wear something around oneself, while 纏める means to gather or organize things together; the two share kanji but differ completely in meaning.

Word family

足あし纏まとい
hindrance; burden; someone/something that gets in the way
まといつく
cling to; follow around persistently; entwine oneself around

Written forms

まとうUsage83%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 纏う is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
纏まとうUsage17%
Kanji form is uncommon and may be encountered mainly in literary or older texts.

Etymology

The verb まとう is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 纏 carries meanings of 'wear', 'wrap', or 'tie', but the word itself is not derived from the kanji; the exact derivation is uncertain.