拗ねます（すねます、sunemaす）
- to sulk

The Japanese verb 拗ねます, read すねます, means "to sulk," "to pout," "to be in a bad mood," or "to be cranky." It describes a state of being displeased or annoyed, often resulting in a change in behavior, such as becoming quiet, withdrawn, or irritable. The feeling typically stems from disappointment, frustration, or a sense of injustice. The [ 拗ねます ] person might show this through facial expressions, tone of voice, or by refusing to cooperate or communicate normally.

⚫︎子供が駄々をこねて、拗ねてしまった。 Translation: The child threw a tantrum and ended up sulking. ⚫︎彼が試験に落ちて、しばらく拗ねていた。 Translation: He sulked for a while after failing the exam. ⚫︎彼女は約束を破られたので、拗ねている。 Translation: She is pouting because her promise was broken.

You use 拗ねます when someone is feeling or acting sulky. It's commonly used to describe the emotional state and behavior of children, but can also describe adults. The context of the situation usually provides the reason for the [ 拗ねます ] behavior. It's important to understand the nuance of the word. While "being angry" is an emotion, [ 拗ねます ] specifically describes the act of showing that feeling through sulking.

拗ねます is written in hiragana as すねます. The kanji form is 拗 (meaning to twist, bend, or be stubborn) and ねます, but it's much more common to see it written entirely in hiragana. Okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is consistent: 拗ね + ます=拗ねます

⚫︎ 不機嫌になる (fukigen ni naru) - to become in a bad mood ⚫︎ ふくれる (fukureru) - to sulk; to pout; to swell (as in face) ⚫︎ むくれる (mukureru) - to pout; to be in a huff ⚫︎ 機嫌が悪い (kigen ga warui) - to be in a bad mood

⚫︎ 喜ぶ (yorokobu) - to be pleased; to rejoice ⚫︎ 笑う (warau) - to laugh ⚫︎ 楽しむ (tanoshimu) - to enjoy oneself ⚫︎ 上機嫌になる (joukigen ni naru) - to become in a good mood

お母さんに怒られて、弟は一日中拗ねていた。 ・Translation: After being scolded by his mother, my younger brother was sulking all day. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates how [ 拗ねます ] is used to describe a child's reaction to being scolded.

彼は上司に意見を無視されて、拗ねてしまった。 ・Translation: He sulked because his opinion was ignored by his boss. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates the use of [ 拗ねます ] to describe the feeling of being ignored.

The etymology is not fully known. The kanji 拗 alone suggests a sense of twistedness or being difficult, which aligns with the meaning of the word expressing a state of being unwilling to cooperate or be easily pleased.