咥えます（くわえます、kuwaemasu）
- to hold in the mouth

The Japanese verb 咥えます 咥えます means "to hold in one's mouth," "to clench in one's mouth," or "to have something in one's mouth." It describes the action of gripping or carrying something within the mouth. This can refer to a variety of objects, ranging from food and drinks to inanimate objects like pencils or cigarettes. The nuance suggests that the item is firmly held, not simply resting in the mouth.

⚫︎犬は骨を咥えています。 Translation: The dog is holding a bone in its mouth. ⚫︎彼女はタバコを咥えていた。 Translation: She was holding a cigarette in her mouth. ⚫︎子供は風船の紐を咥えます Translation: The child is holding the balloon string in his/her mouth.

This word is used to describe an action, so it is often used with a subject (the one doing the action) and an object (the thing being held in the mouth). It's suitable for both formal and informal situations, as the choice depends more on the object than the word itself. For instance, the nuance of the verb can be modified by the object; something delicate like a pen may not be something you would usually 咥えます 咥えます.

咥えます 咥えます is written primarily in hiragana: くわえます くわえます. The kanji version 咥えます is less common but can be used. The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is always えます.

⚫︎くわえる (basic, dictionary form of 咥えます)咥えます ⚫︎口にくわえる (more explicit, literally "to hold in the mouth") ⚫︎くわえ込む (implies a more complete and enclosed hold)

There aren't direct antonyms, as this is an action. However, words expressing removing something from the mouth would be opposite in meaning, such as: ⚫︎出す (to take out/ to put out) ⚫︎吐く (to spit out/ to vomit)

彼はライターを咥えます、タバコに火をつけた。 ・Translation: He held the lighter in his mouth and lit the cigarette. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the action of using a lighter that is held within the mouth to light a cigarette.

赤ちゃんは指を咥えて、静かに眠っていた。 ・Translation: The baby was holding his finger in his mouth and sleeping peacefully. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the て-form of 咥えます 咥えます (咥えて) to describe the baby's action while sleeping.

The verb 咥えます 咥えます comes from the classical Japanese word くはふ which means "to hold something in the mouth." Over time, the form evolved to become the modern 咥えます 咥えます. The kanji 咥 depicts a mouth (口) and what's inside it, visually representing the action.