Japanese word

絡む

Pronunciation

Romajikaramu

Meaning

  • verbget tangled

Example

髪が絡みます。kami ga kara mi ma su

My hair gets tangled.

Illustration for 絡む (get tangled)

More examples

ポケットの中でイヤホンのコードが絡んでいました。po ke tto no naka de i ya ho n no kō do ga kara n de i ma shi ta

The earbud cord was tangled inside my pocket.

Core concept

Expresses strands or similar things becoming entangled with or wrapped around something else and losing their freedom of movement.

Common phrases

  • 足に絡むashi ni kara mu

    get tangled around one's feet

  • 複雑に絡むfuku zatsu ni kara mu

    get intricately tangled

Similar words

もつれるmotsureru: To become twisted into knots and difficult to separate.
絡み合うkaramiau: To become intertwined with one another as parts cross around each other.
巻き付くmakitsuku: To wind around another object in a spiral shape.

Definition in Japanese

糸や髪などが他のものに巻き付いたり互いに入り組んだりして簡単には離れなくなる。ito ya kami na do ga hoka no mo no ni ma ki tsu i ta ri taga i ni i ri ku n da ri shi te kan tan ni wa hana re na ku na ru

Word origin

The verb 絡む (karamu, "to get tangled") is a native Japanese word, and no definite older source or word-building process is established for it.

Usage tips

  • The contrast between 髪が絡む (kami ga karamu) and 髪を絡める (kami o karameru) shows the everyday difference between becoming tangled and causing something to become entwined.

Other meanings

  • get caught inverb

Opposites

  • ほどけるhodokerucome undoneverb

Related words

  • 絡みkaramientanglementnoun

Word lists with this word