彼は背中を掻いたり、爪を噛んだりする癖がある。

Sentence Analyzer

English Translation

He has a habit of scratching his back and biting his nails.

Furigana

彼(かれ)は背中(せなか)を掻(か)いたり、爪(つめ)を噛(か)んだりする癖(くせ)がある。

Romanji

Kare wa senaka o kai tari, tsume o kan dari suru kuse ga aru.

Words

彼 (かれ)

he; him; his; boyfriend

は (は)

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

背中 (せなか)

back (of body)

を (を)

indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.

掻く (かく)

to scratch; to perspire; to shovel; to paddle

たり (たり、だり)

-ing and -ing (e.g. "coming and going"); (used adverbially) doing such things as...; expresses a command; (after a noun) to be; indicates completion or continuation of an action

爪 (つめ)

nail (e.g. fingernail, toenail); claw; talon; hoof; plectrum; pick; hook; clasp

噛む (かむ)

to bite; to chew; to gnaw; to crash against (e.g. of waves); to break onto (shore); to engage (of cogs, zippers, etc.); to mesh; to fit together; to be involved in; to fumble one's words (during a play, broadcast, etc.); to falter with one's words; to strongly confute; to argue down; to rebuke; to scold harshly

為る (する)

to do; to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into); to serve as; to act as; to work as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.); to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as; to decide on; to choose; to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.); to be (in a state, condition, etc.); to be worth; to cost; to pass (of time); to elapse; verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs"); creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go"); to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to

癖 (くせ、へき)

habit (often a bad habit, i.e. vice); tendency; peculiarity; idiosyncrasy; mannerism; crease; wrinkle; curl; kink

が (が)

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

有る (ある)

to be (usu. of inanimate objects); to exist; to live; to have; to be located; to be equipped with; to happen; to come about