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くねくね Japanese meaning | Kotomora

くねくね

also: ぐねぐね

く

ね

く

ね

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

adverb, adverb taking the 'to' particle, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

winding; meandering; wriggling; wiggling; swaying; twisting and turning

onomatopoeic or mimetic word

Describes a continuous, sinuous motion or shape, like a winding road, a wriggling snake, or a swaying body. Often used with と or as a する-verb.

道みちがくねくねと山やまの上うえまで続つづいている。
The road winds its way up the mountain.

ミミズがくねくね動うごいている。

The earthworm is wriggling.

彼かの女じょは腰こしをくねくねさせながら踊おどった。

She danced swaying her hips.

Written forms

くねくねUsage72%
Standard hiragana spelling for the mimetic word.
クネクネUsage24%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
ぐねぐねUsage4%
Voiced variant, often implying a heavier or more exaggerated winding motion.
グネグネ
Katakana voiced variant, used for emphasis or in informal contexts.

Similar words

うねうね
うねうね describes a larger-scale, undulating motion or shape (e.g., rolling hills), while くねくね often implies smaller, more intricate twists or wriggles.
ねじねじ
ねじねじ emphasizes twisting or coiling, often with a sense of entanglement, whereas くねくね focuses on continuous, sinuous bending.

Etymology

Mimetic word; the exact origin is uncertain, but it is likely derived from the reduplication of a sound-symbolic root related to bending or twisting.