噛む

• Reading: かむ
• Romaji: kamu
• Kanji breakdown: 噛 (kou/ka) — bite, chew, gnaw
• Pronunciation: /ka.mɯ/

Meaning

To bite; to chew. The physical action of pressing teeth together on something.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb conjugated with the む row. Used for biting, chewing food, and also for dogs biting people. Colloquially, 噛む can mean to stumble over one's words (言葉を噛む). The expression よく噛んで食べる (chew well before swallowing) is common health advice.

Examples

1. よく噛んで食べてください。 Please chew your food well.
2. 犬に手を噛まれました。 A dog bit my hand.
3. 硬いものを噛むと歯が痛いです。 My teeth hurt when I chew hard things.

Usage Guide

Context: eating, health, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese かむ. The kanji 噛 combines 口 (mouth) and 齒 (teeth), directly depicting the action of biting with the mouth.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal