懐ける

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 懐ける is a transitive ichidan verb read なつける, meaning to tame or win over an animal so that it becomes attached and friendly toward people.
• Basic usage: Mark the animal with を, and use 時間をかけて to indicate that the process takes time.
  • 彼は時間をかけて保護犬を懐けた。 describes taking time to win over a rescued dog; 警戒心の強い猫を懐けるのは簡単ではない。 says that taming a wary cat is not easy.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 動物を懐ける
  • を marks the animal that a person causes to become friendly in this transitive construction.
• 時間をかけて
  • The phrase presents taming as a process carried out over time rather than a single quick action.
• 懐ける and 懐く
  • 懐ける is transitive and describes a person winning an animal over, while 懐く is intransitive and describes the animal becoming attached.