1.
on all fours; crawling position; hands and knees
The posture of being down on both hands and both knees, like a crawling baby or an animal. Used to describe the physical position itself.
赤ちゃんが四つん這いで進んでいる。
The baby is crawling on all fours.
四つん這いになって、ベッドの下を探した。
I got on all fours and looked under the bed.
暗いトンネルの中は天井が低くて、四つん這いでしか進めなかった。
The ceiling inside the dark tunnel was so low that we could only move forward on all fours.
四つん這い describes the posture of being on all fours — both hands and both knees on the ground. Comes from 四つ (four) + 這い (crawling).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 四つん這いになる: to get on all fours
- 四つん這いで進む: to move forward on all fours
- 四つん這いの姿勢: all-fours posture
- 四つん這いで探す: to search on all fours
USAGE:
Describes a physical posture, not a movement verb. Typically used with になる (to assume the position) or で (while in the position). Common contexts include babies crawling, searching under furniture, or moving through low spaces.