1.
to pinch
To squeeze skin between the thumb and finger.
頬を抓ってみて。
Try pinching your cheek.
夢じゃないか確かめるために腕を抓った。
I pinched my arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
弟に抓られた。
I got pinched by my younger brother.
抓る is a transitive godan verb specifically for pinching with fingers.
USAGE NOTE:
The kanji 抓 is relatively uncommon, so this word is often written in hiragana (つねる).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 頬をつねる: to pinch one's cheek
- 腕をつねる: to pinch one's arm