噛む
かむ
to bite, to chew
Godan verbJLPT N4
Example Sentences
ゆっくりよく噛んで食べてください。
Please chew well and eat slowly.
昨日、犬に噛まれました。
I was bitten by a dog yesterday.
赤ちゃんはまだ固いものを噛めません。
The baby can't chew hard food yet.
Grammar Notes & Usage Tips
•Use を with 噛む to mark what is being bitten or chewed — for example, ガムを噛む means "to chew gum."
•Don’t confuse 噛む with similar verbs like 食べる (to eat); 噛む focuses on the action of chewing or biting, not swallowing.
•In casual conversation, 噛む can also mean "to mess up speaking" — like saying the wrong word — so be aware of this slang meaning too!
•JLPT N4 level
Common Phrases & Expressions
ガムを噛む
to chew gum
舌を噛む（したをかむ）
to bite one's tongue
セリフを噛む
to stumble over one's lines (e.g., during a speech or performance)
Complete Conjugation Table
Basic Forms
Dictionary Form
噛む
Masu Form
噛みます
Te Form
噛んで
Past Form
噛んだ
Negative Form
噛まない
Past Negative
噛まなかった
Polite Forms
Polite Present
噛みます
Polite Past
噛みました
Polite Negative
噛みません
Polite Past Negative
噛みませんでした
Advanced Forms
Potential Form
噛める
Passive Form
噛まれる
Causative Form
噛ませる
Causative Passive
噛まされる
Volitional Form
噛もう
Imperative Form
噛め
Conditional Forms
Conditional (ば)
噛めば
Conditional (たら)
噛んだら
Other Forms
Progressive Form
噛んでいる
Desire (たい)
噛みたい
Prohibition
噛むな