Entry
くねくね
kunekune
Describes a continuous, repetitive winding or wriggling motion or shape.
Meaning
Quick Meaning
Kunekune is used to describe things that are not straight, such as a mountain road with many curves, a meandering river, or the flexible, swaying movement of a person dancing or a snake crawling.
- Used for paths or objects that have many twists and turns.
- Used for flexible, repetitive movements of the body or objects.
Sense Map
Shape and Path
Used for inanimate objects like roads, rivers, or wires that curve back and forth repeatedly.
山道がくねくね続く。
Movement
Used for living things or flexible objects moving in a swaying, twisting, or wriggling manner.
ヘビがくねくね進む。
Usage Note
How to Use
くねくねする
Used as a verb to describe the act of wriggling or winding.
くねくねした + Noun
Used as an adjective to describe a noun that has a winding shape.
くねくねと + Verb
Used as an adverb to describe the manner in which an action is performed with a winding motion.
How to Use
Common Phrases
くねくね曲がる
to wind or twist repeatedly
くねくねした道
a winding or zigzagging road
くねくね踊る
to dance with a swaying or wriggling motion
くねくね動く
to move in a wriggling or winding way
Nuance
Context Nuance
| Common Contexts | Nuance | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
| Roads and Paths | Neutral | Simply describes the physical layout of a path with many turns. |
| Human Movement | Neutral | Describes flexible movement; can sometimes imply a playful or strange vibe depending on the situation. |
Similar Words
Comparison Table
| Similar Words | When to Use | Not the Same as | Mini Example |
|---|---|---|---|
うねうね うねうね / similar | Used for larger-scale winding, like rolling hills or large waves. | Kunekune is for tighter, smaller, or more repetitive curves. | うねうねと続く丘。 |
にょろにょろ にょろにょろ / similar | Specifically for the slithering movement of long creatures like snakes or eels. | Kunekune can describe roads or dancing, while nyoronyoro is almost exclusively for slithering movements. | ヘビがにょろにょろ動く。 |
Usage Note
Common Mistakes
Using kunekune for a single curve.
Kunekune implies multiple, repeated curves. For a single turn, use a word like magari.
Thinking it only applies to animals.
It is very common to use kunekune for static shapes like winding roads or rivers.
Examples
Examples
この山道はくねくねしていて、運転が大変だ。
このやまみちはくねくねしていて、うんてんがたいへんだ。
This mountain road is winding, so it is difficult to drive.
VisualDescribes the shape of a road with many turns.
草むらの中でヘビがくねくねと動いている。
くさむらのなかでヘビがくねくねとうごいている。
A snake is wriggling in the grass.
LiteralDescribes the physical movement of a snake.
彼女はリズムに合わせて体をくねくねさせて踊った。
かのじょはリズムにあわせてからだをくねくねさせておどった。
She danced by swaying her body to the rhythm.
VisualDescribes the flexibility of the body while dancing.
川が平野をくねくねと流れている。
かわがへいやをくねくねとながれている。
The river is meandering through the plains.
VisualUsed to describe a non-straight river path.
子供が長いワイヤーをくねくね曲げて遊んでいる。
こどもがながいワイヤーをくねくねまげてあそんでいる。
The child is playing by bending a long wire back and forth.
LiteralDescribes bending a flexible object repeatedly.
Similar Words
うねうね
uneune
Describes something that winds or undulates in a series of continuous curves. Used for larger-scale winding like rolling hills.
にょろにょろ
nyoronyoro
Nyoronyoro describes continuous slithering, wriggling, or slippery movement. Specifically for the slithering of long creatures.
Questions
What is the difference between kunekune and gunegune?
Kunekune describes lighter or more regular winding, while gunegune implies larger, coarser, or more irregular twists.
Can I use kunekune for a flexible wire?
Yes, if the wire is bent in many places or moving in a wriggling way, kunekune is appropriate.
Is kunekune used in formal writing?
Like most onomatopoeia, it is more common in spoken Japanese and literature. In very formal reports, more technical terms for winding might be used.
Source Details
- Entry ID
- 1003900
- Source
- JMdict_english
- Revision
- -
- Review notes
- No special notes
- Active language
- English
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