粘る

• Reading: ねばる
• Romaji: nebaru
• Kanji breakdown: 粘 (neba/nen) — sticky, adhesive, tenacious
• Pronunciation: /ne.ba.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To be sticky; to be adhesive. Also means to persist tenaciously; to stick with something and not give up.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb with both literal and figurative uses. Literally describes sticky substances like natto or mochi. Figuratively means to persevere or refuse to give up — a highly valued trait in Japanese culture.

Examples

1. 納豆はよく混ぜると、もっと粘る。 Natto gets stickier the more you mix it.
2. 最後まで粘った結果、逆転勝利を収めた。 By hanging in there to the end, I pulled off a comeback victory.
3. 交渉で粘って、やっと有利な条件を引き出した。 By sticking it out in the negotiation, I finally got favorable terms.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, negotiation, cooking, perseverance

Tone: determined

Origin & History

From the kanji 粘 (sticky), which contains 米 (rice) as a component, evoking the sticky quality of certain rice varieties. The figurative meaning of tenacity developed naturally from the physical sense.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal