這います（はいます、haimasu）
- to crawl

The Japanese verb 這います (這います) means "to crawl," "to creep," or "to move slowly along the ground." It describes movement that involves the body close to the surface, typically using the hands and knees, or the entire body. This word is often associated with animals like insects and reptiles, as well as young children. The meaning emphasizes a slow and deliberate form of movement.

⚫︎赤ちゃんが床を這っている。 Translation: The baby is crawling on the floor. ⚫︎ヘビが草むらを這っている。 Translation: The snake is crawling through the grass. ⚫︎虫が壁を這っていた。 Translation: An insect was crawling on the wall.

This verb is typically used to describe the action of crawling or creeping. It is suitable for describing the movement of babies, animals, or sometimes even people who are in a difficult situation and moving in a low posture. It is a more specific term than just "to move," implying a particular manner of movement. In daily conversation, it's used when you want to specifically indicate the act of crawling.

這います (這います) is typically written in hiragana as はいます. The kanji 這 can be used, but it's less common, and it is most frequently written using the hiragana form. The conjugation reflects the polite form of the verb.

⚫︎ 進む (すすむ) - to advance, to proceed (general movement) ⚫︎ 這う (はう) - the dictionary form of 這います

⚫︎ 走る (はしる) - to run ⚫︎ 歩く (あるく) - to walk ⚫︎ 飛ぶ (とぶ) - to fly (for instance, birds or insects)

彼はケガをして、やっとのことで這って逃げた。 ・Translation: Injured, he barely managed to crawl away. ・Explanation: This sentence describes someone who is injured and using 這って to indicate a slow, difficult escape.

その犬は嬉しそうに私の足元に這い寄った。 ・Translation: The dog crawled happily to my feet. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the continuous form of 這う to describe the dog's approach.

The kanji 這 is composed of the radical 辶 (しんにょう), indicating movement, and the phonetic component 朿. The original meaning of the kanji, even before its use in Japanese, has been related to movement or actions close to the ground.