かじる
かじる · godan verb (-ru)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | かじる | かじらない |
| Polite | かじります | かじりません |
| Past polite | かじりました | かじりませんでした |
| Past | かじった | かじらなかった |
| Te-form | かじって | かじらないで |
| Desire | かじりたい | かじりたくない |
| Potential | かじれる | かじれない |
| Passive | かじられる | かじられない |
| Causative | かじらせる | かじらせない |
| Causative passive | かじらせられるalso かじらされる | かじらせられないalso かじらされない |
| Volitional | かじろう | |
| Polite volitional | かじりましょう | |
| Imperative | かじれ | かじるな |
| Conditional | かじれば | かじらなければ |
| Tara conditional | かじったら | かじらなかったら |
Meanings
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
gnaw; nibble; bite; munch; crunch
Describes biting off small pieces of something hard or tough, such as an apple, a bone, or a pencil. Often implies a repetitive, rodent-like action.
I bite into a whole apple.
The dog is gnawing on a bone.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
dabble in; have a smattering of; know a little about
Metaphorical extension of the gnawing sense: to have only superficial knowledge of a subject, often used with fields of study or hobbies. Implies a lack of deep commitment.
I dabbled a bit in French at university.
He dabbles in various fields of study, but he hasn't mastered any of them.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉を齧るto gnaw/nibble at something
The squirrel is gnawing on a nut.
- 〈事〉を少し齧るto have only dabbled in a subject
I only dabbled a little in psychology at university.
- 爪を齧るto bite one's nails
I end up biting my nails when I'm nervous.
- 骨を齧るto gnaw on a bone
The dog is gnawing on a bone.
Expressions
- すねをかじるlive off someone else's money; depend on someone financially