Illustration: At a neighborhood craft exhibition, a skilled potter stands beside an impressive finished vase while visitors applaud. Instead of adopting a proud pose, the potter lowers their head and shoulders in a modest bow, holding one hand lightly against the chest.

JLPT N1verbLevel estimated by Bebop

へりくだる

herikudaru

to speak or act humbly

Example sentences

  1. 性格せいかくは尊大そんだいで、容易よういにへりくだらないと評ひょうされた。

    He was described as arrogant and not one to humble himself easily.

    KFTT corpus (NICT), Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

  2. なお無闇むやみに謙へりくだって迎むかえる側がわの誘導ゆうどうを無視むしして下座げざに陣取じんどると出口でぐちが近ちかい事こともあり「おまえの所ところは不快ふかいなのですぐ帰かえる」という意思表示いしひょうじに取とられかねないため、注意ちゅういが必要ひつようである。

    You should also be careful about humbling yourself excessively and ignoring the host’s directions to take the lowest-ranking seat: because it is close to the exit, this could be taken to mean, “I find your place unpleasant and want to leave right away.”

    KFTT corpus (NICT), Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

  3. 店長てんちょうは客きゃくの前まえでいつもへりくだって話はなす。

    The manager always speaks humbly to customers.

    Written by AI for Bebop

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