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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "kneel" in Japanese?
ひざまずく
hizamazuku
In Japanese, "kneel" is ひざまずく (hizamazuku).
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Pronunciation
Hi-za-ma-zu-ku, five syllables, contains 'hiza' meaning knee, so the first half literally names the body part.
Writing and usage
ひざまずく is written using hiragana. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
彼らはひざまずいて花を植えます。
karera hahizamazuite hana wo ue masu.
They kneel to plant the flowers.
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How to remember ひざまずく
Hizamazuku starts with hiza, knee — picture your knee hitting the ground with a soft thud.
Related words
- whistle 口笛を吹く kuchibue wo fuku
- yawn あくびをする akubiwosuru
- hiccup しゃっくりする shakkurisuru
- blink まばたきをする mabatakiwosuru
- stretch 伸びをする nobi wosuru
- bend 曲げる mage ru
- squat しゃがむ shagamu
- compare 比較する hikaku suru
- contrast 対比する taihi suru
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about ひざまずく
How do you pronounce ひざまずく?
Hi-za-ma-zu-ku, five syllables, contains 'hiza' meaning knee, so the first half literally names the body part.
Is ひざまずく formal or casual?
ひざまずく is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is ひざまずく written in Japanese?
ひざまずく is written using hiragana. Romanised, it reads as hizamazuku.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Kneel" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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