跳ねる
haneru[ha̠ne̞ɾɯ̟]
The Japanese verb for 'to bounce' is 跳ねる (haneru).
The verb 跳ねる describes changing direction of motion after hitting an obstacle. This term is versatile and can be used to describe a ball bouncing, a person jumping or water splashing.
Meaning: to change direction of motion after hitting an obstacle (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 跳ねる is 跳ねた.
How do you pronounce it?
haneru
Did you know?
- When a car hits a pedestrian, the verb 跳ねる is used to describe the accident. In this context, it does not mean 'to bounce' but 'to knock someone over or send them flying'.
- While 跳ねる describes a physical bounce, the word 跳ねる is also used in calligraphy to describe a specific 'flick' or 'bounce' of the brush at the end of a stroke.
- If you use the verb 跳ねる to describe a person's behavior, it can imply they are acting in an energetic, 'bouncy', or even slightly erratic and hyperactive manner.
Examples in context
- ボールが跳ねます。The ball bounces.
- ボールがバウンドしているよ！The ball is bouncing!
- 犬が楽しそうに跳ねている。The dog is happily bouncing.
- ボールが跳ねるThe ball bounces
- スーパーボールはよく跳ねる。Sūpā bōru wa yoku haneru.The super ball bounces well.
Example conversation
At a park, Hiroto and Misaki are playing with a ball.
- 大翔 Hirotoこのボール、すごく跳ねるね！Kono bōru, sugoku haneru ne!This ball bounces really well, doesn't it!
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ。すごく高く跳ねるよ。Hontō da. Sugoku takaku haneru yo.You're right. It bounces really high.
- 大翔 Hirotoあ、壁に当たって跳ねた！A, kabe ni atatte haneta!Ah, it hit the wall and bounced!
- 美咲 Misakiあそこに跳ねて行ったね。Asoko ni hanete itta ne.It bounced over there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 跳ねる, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
