English–Japanese

“hold in one's mouth” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajikuwaeru

Example

犬が骨をくわえます。inu ga hone o ku wa e ma su

The dog holds a bone in its mouth.

Illustration for くわえる (hold in one's mouth)

How to say “hold in one's mouth” in Japanese

“Hold in one's mouth” in Japanese is くわえる (kuwaeru).

Refers to keeping an object between the lips or teeth rather than holding it with the hands.

Full entry for くわえる: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with くわえる

猫が小さな布をくわえて運びます。neko ga chii sa na nuno o ku wa e te hako bi ma su

The cat carries a small piece of cloth in its mouth.

Tips for using くわえる

  • The homophone 加える (kuwaeru, "add") has a different meaning, so context or kanji distinguishes holding something in the mouth from adding something.

“hold in one's mouth” in other languages