弄ぶ
もてあそぶ
verb (godan)
to toy with, to trifle with; to fiddle with
他動詞 transitiveaction
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 弄ぶ | 弄ばない |
| Present polite | 弄びます | 弄びません |
| Past | 弄んだ | 弄ばなかった |
| Past polite | 弄びました | 弄びませんでした |
| て form | 弄んで | 弄ばなくて |
| ている present | 弄んでいる | 弄んでいない |
| ている polite | 弄んでいます | 弄んでいません |
| ている past | 弄んでいた | 弄んでいなかった |
| ている past polite | 弄んでいました | 弄んでいませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 弄べば | 弄ばなければ |
| Conditional たら | 弄んだら | 弄ばなかったら |
| Volitional | 弄ぼう | — |
| Volitional polite | 弄びましょう | — |
| Potential | 弄べる | 弄べない |
| Passive | 弄ばれる | 弄ばれない |
| Causative | 弄ばせる | 弄ばせない |
| Imperative | 弄べ | 弄ぶな |
1.
to toy with, to trifle with, to play with someone's feelings
To treat someone or something carelessly or disrespectfully, especially toying with a person's emotions or treating something serious in a frivolous manner.
2.
to fiddle with, to play with, to handle idly
To handle or touch something absent-mindedly or without a clear purpose, turning it over in one's hands.
Usage
Godan verb conjugating as 弄ぶ・弄んで. Also commonly written in kana as もてあそぶ. Sense 1 (toying with emotions) carries a strongly negative connotation, while sense 2 (fiddling with objects) is more neutral. The kanji 弄 is relatively uncommon, so kana writing is frequent.