生唾(なまつば)

なまつば
noun
saliva (from anticipation or nervousness)
body-internal
1. saliva swallowed involuntarily from anticipation, desire, or nervousness
Saliva that one swallows instinctively, typically when seeing delicious food, feeling greedy anticipation, or experiencing nervous tension.
生唾(なまつば)を飲(の)む。
To gulp in anticipation.
おいしそうなケーキを見(み)て生唾(なまつば)を飲(の)んだ。
I gulped at the sight of the delicious-looking cake.
緊張(きんちょう)して生唾(なまつば)を飲(の)みながら結果(けっか)発表(はっぴょう)を待(ま)った。
I waited nervously for the results, swallowing hard with tension.

Usage

生唾(なまつば) almost always appears in the expression 生唾(なまつば)を飲(の)む (to swallow saliva), which conveys either eager anticipation or nervous tension. It is not used as a neutral medical or scientific term for saliva — 唾液(だえき) is the clinical term.

Forms

生(なま) (raw, involuntary) + 唾(つば) (saliva).

Common collocations

Related Words

Related: 唾液(だえき) (saliva (clinical))
general
Added 2026.3.11 17:06 · Revised 2026.9.4 9:35
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