反芻(はんすう)

はんすう
noun
rumination; chewing cud; mulling over
sciencecognition
1. rumination; chewing cud
The biological process by which ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, etc.) regurgitate food to chew it again.
牛(うし)は反芻(はんすう)する動物(どうぶつ)だ。
Cows are ruminant animals.
反芻(はんすう)動物(どうぶつ)は胃(い)が複数(ふくすう)ある。
Ruminants have multiple stomachs.
羊(ひつじ)が静(しず)かに反芻(はんすう)していた。
The sheep were quietly chewing their cud.
2. mulling over; pondering; going over again
Thinking about something repeatedly and deeply; mentally reviewing past events or ideas.
過去(かこ)を反芻(はんすう)する。
To mull over the past.
彼(かれ)の言葉(ことば)を何度(なんど)も反芻(はんすう)した。
I mulled over his words many times.
失敗(しっぱい)を反芻(はんすう)しても始(はじ)まらない。
Dwelling on failure won't get you anywhere.

反芻(はんすう) means "chewing again."

Forms

  • 反(はん) (return, repeat) + 芻(すう) (grass, fodder)

Sense 1 (BIOLOGICAL)

Sense 2 (FIGURATIVE)

  • Going over something mentally again and again
  • Can be positive (careful consideration) or negative (dwelling)

Common collocations

Psychology note

In psychology, 反芻(はんすう) often refers to negative rumination - obsessively thinking about past events or problems.

general
Added 2026.1.31 8:10 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
09000/09051_hansuu