縫う

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 縫う and read ぬう, it means sewing pieces of fabric with needle and thread and figuratively threading a route through narrow gaps.
• Basic usage: It appears in mending a shirt sleeve and a boat weaving between small islands.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Sewing versus movement metaphor
  • With travel it evokes a precise winding path among obstacles, not literal stitching.