1.
to entwine; to wrap around
To wind or wrap one thing around another.
蔦が木に絡めてある。
Ivy is wrapped around the tree.
指に糸を絡めた。
I wound the thread around my finger.
犯人の足にロープを絡めて動けなくした。
They wrapped a rope around the criminal's legs to immobilize him.
2.
to coat; to mix in
In cooking, to coat ingredients with sauce or seasonings.
野菜にソースを絡める。
Coat the vegetables with sauce.
茹でたパスタにバターを絡めた。
I tossed the boiled pasta with butter.
鶏肉に甘辛いたれを絡めて焼くとおいしい。
It's delicious if you coat the chicken in a sweet and savory sauce and grill it.
3.
to involve; to connect
To include or involve something as part of a discussion or plan.
政治の話を絡めて議論した。
We discussed it while involving politics in the conversation.
自分の経験を絡めて話した。
I spoke while weaving in my own experience.
歴史の背景を絡めて説明してくれたので、よく分かった。
Because they explained it while incorporating the historical background, I understood it well.
絡める is a transitive verb (他動詞). The intransitive pair is 絡む (to get tangled, to get involved).
ASPECT ({ている}):
絡めている indicates an ongoing action of entwining or involving.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- [A]に[B]を絡める - to wrap B around A
- ソースを絡める - to coat with sauce
- 話を絡める - to bring a topic into discussion
- 絡め取る - to capture by entangling
COOKING USAGE:
In recipes, 絡める commonly means to toss ingredients so they are evenly coated with sauce or seasoning.
絡める VS 絡む:
- 絡める (transitive): to wrap/involve something
- 絡む (intransitive): to become entangled, to get involved