Translation guide
The English verb 'sew' refers to joining or repairing fabric using a needle and thread. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 縫う (nuu), but the best choice depends on what you are making or mending.
To join pieces of fabric together with a needle and thread, typically to make or repair clothing.
The standard verb for sewing. Covers most general sewing actions.
My mother sewed a dress for me.
彼女は毎日少しずつキルトを縫っている。
She sews a little bit of the quilt every day.
A slightly more formal term for sewing, often used for dressmaking or tailoring.
彼女は裁縫が得意だ。
She is good at sewing.
To repair a tear or hole in fabric by sewing.
Specifically means to mend or repair clothes by sewing. Use this for fixing holes or tears.
靴下の穴を繕った。
I mended a hole in my sock.
このジャケットはまだ繕えば着られる。
This jacket can still be worn if I mend it.
縫う can also be used for mending, but 繕う is more precise.
破れたシャツを縫った。
I sewed up the torn shirt.
To attach a button to fabric using thread.
The most natural way to say 'sew on a button'. Literally 'attach a button'.
ワイシャツのボタンを付けてもらえますか？
Could you sew on a button for my dress shirt?
Literally 'sew on a button'. More explicit than ボタンを付ける.
取れたボタンを縫い付けた。
I sewed on the button that came off.
To stitch a wound or surgical incision.
Medical term for suturing. Used by doctors and in formal contexts.
医者は傷を縫合した。
The doctor sewed up the wound.
In casual speech, 縫う can be used for suturing, but 縫合する is more precise.
転んで切ったところを３針縫った。
I got three stitches where I cut myself when I fell.
To sew the pages of a book together.
Used for binding books or papers together, often by sewing or stapling.
手作りのノートを糸で綴じた。
I sewed the handmade notebook together with thread.
The English word 'sew' is pronounced like 'so', but learners sometimes confuse it with 'saw' (past tense of 'see'). In Japanese, 縫う (nuu) is completely different from 見る (miru).
縫う is always transitive; it takes an object marked by を. For example, 布を縫う (sew cloth). There is no common intransitive counterpart.