Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 抱擁する | hōyō suru | |
| 抱く | idaku | [da̠kɯ̟] (narrow) [ida̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
To embrace means to clasp someone or each other in the arms with affection. The noun 抱擁 describes the act of an embrace, often used in formal, poetic or journalistic contexts. For a common and natural way to express the physical action of hugging someone tightly with affection, you can use the verb 抱きしめる. If you want to say 'hug' or 'cuddle' among friends, family or with pets, use the informal Dakko suru (抱っこする). For a cute and friendly way for youngsters to say 'embrace', use Gyu suru (ぎゅーする).
What does it mean word for word?
The noun 抱擁 is composed of the kanji 抱 (to embrace/hold) and 擁 (to embrace/support).
Which one should you use?
While 抱擁する is a formal and literary term for 'embrace', the katakana-based ハグする is much more common in daily conversation. The form 抱く is considered literary or obsolete.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
hōyō suru
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese culture, physical embraces like 抱擁 were historically rare in public and are often replaced by bowing.
- While 抱く means 'to embrace', it is also used metaphorically to describe holding a feeling or a grudge in one's heart.
- The pronunciation of 抱く underwent a rare linguistic shift from 'udaku' to 'idaku', a phonetic change almost exclusively shared with the word for 'bramble', which is 茨.
Examples in context
- 彼女は私を抱擁してくれました。She embraced me.
- かわいい犬を抱っこしています。I am cuddling a cute dog.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “embrace” translations and entries 抱く, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 抱く, CC BY-SA 4.0.
