こびへつらう（こびへつらう）
JLPT N1 · Godan verb (Group 1)
Pitch accent: atamadaka (head-high) — first mora high, then falls
Meaning: to flatter/sycophant
Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| masu-form (polite) | こびへつらいます | こびへつらいます |
| te-form | こびへつらって | こびへつらって |
| ta-form (past) | こびへつらった | こびへつらった |
| nai-form (negative) | こびへつらわない | こびへつらわない |
| potential form | こびへつらえる | こびへつらえる |
Example sentences
- 権力者にこびへつらう。 — He fawns and flatters those in power.
- こびへつらわず対等に接する。 — She treats people as equals without fawning over them.
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “こびへつらう” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)