Japanese

める

なめる
Meaning: to lick; to taste; to underestimate; to look down on
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 嘗める 嘗めない
Polite 嘗めます 嘗めません
Past 嘗めた 嘗めなかった
Polite + Past 嘗めました 嘗めませんでした
Te-form 嘗めて 嘗めなくて
Potential 嘗められる 嘗められない
Passive 嘗められる 嘗められない
Causative 嘗めさせる 嘗めさせない
Imperative 嘗めろ 嘗めるな

Handwriting

嘗
め
る

Example sentences

If you underestimate your opponent, you'll have a painful experience.
そのチームは決勝戦で敗北の苦汁を嘗めた。
The team tasted the bitterness of defeat in the final match.

Usage Notes

Used both literally for licking and figuratively for underestimating someone or experiencing hardship.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.