甘えます（あまえます、amaeまsu）
- to act spoiled

The Japanese verb 甘えます (あまえます, amaemasu) means to act spoiled, to depend on someone, or to seek someone's favor or indulgence. It implies a desire for care, attention, and a certain level of pampering. The act of 甘えます often involves exhibiting childlike or dependent behavior to get one's needs or desires met. It's about relying on another person's kindness and willingness to take care of you. It's often associated with relationships where there's a degree of intimacy and trust, like between family members or close friends. 甘えます implies a willingness to be taken care of, sometimes by being a little bit demanding or petulant.

⚫︎ 子供は母親に甘えている。 Translation: The child is acting spoiled towards their mother. ⚫︎ 彼はいつも彼女に甘えている。 Translation: He always depends on his girlfriend. ⚫︎ すみません、少し甘えてしまいました。 Translation: I'm sorry, I was a little too demanding/dependent.

⚫︎ 甘えます is used in situations where someone is seeking attention, comfort, or help, often in a way that implies a reliance on another person. ⚫︎ The behavior can range from innocent requests to a slightly manipulative, but not necessarily malicious, display of neediness. ⚫︎ It is important to consider the context and relationship. It's more common and acceptable with people you have close relationships with. ⚫︎ Using 甘えます with strangers would typically be inappropriate. ⚫︎ Think about the tone of voice and body language when using 甘えます, as it often involves a softer or more endearing manner.

⚫︎ The base form is 甘える (あまえる, amaeru). ⚫︎ The polite form is 甘えます (あまえます, amaemasu). ⚫︎ It's written in hiragana: 甘えます ⚫︎ The kanji form is 甘える, but it's rarely used, the hiragana is much more common. ⚫︎ The okurigana is typically える (eru) for the base form, and ます (masu) for the polite form. ⚫︎ There are no other common ways to write this word.

⚫︎ 頼る (たよる, tayoru) - to rely on, to depend on (more neutral) ⚫︎ 世話になる (せわになる, sewa ni naru) - to be taken care of, to be indebted to ⚫︎ すねる (suneru) - to sulk, to pout (implies a more negative feeling)

⚫︎ 自立する (じりつする, jiritsu suru) - to be independent ⚫︎ 遠慮する (えんりょする, enryo suru) - to hesitate, to refrain from ⚫︎ 我慢する (がまんする, gaman suru) - to endure, to be patient

疲れたから、少しだけお母さんに甘えていい？ ・Translation: I'm tired, can I act a little spoiled towards you, Mom? ・Explanation: This shows a child or adult asking for a bit of comfort or help from their mother, acknowledging their fatigue and wanting to be taken care of. 甘えて shows the desire to receive special treatment.

困った時は、いつでも私に甘えてください。 ・Translation: When you're in trouble, please feel free to rely on me. ・Explanation: This is an offer of help and support, indicating the speaker is willing to be relied upon. The use of 甘えてimplies the person wants you to feel comfortable enough to seek their help.

The word 甘える is derived from the adjective 甘い (amai), which means "sweet" or "indulgent". The suffix える (eru) is a verb-forming suffix. The origin reflects the idea of seeking something sweet, like the indulgence and care associated with being treated kindly.