What does 撫でる mean?
撫でる is a Japanese verb meaning “to brush gently, to stroke” in English. It can also be translated as “to comb (hair)” depending on context. It is written as 撫でる in kanji, なでる in hiragana, and naderu in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N2 vocabulary.
Example sentence
母はため息をつきながら、高校一年生にもなった息子の頭をがしがしと撫でた。
Mom sighed, and tousled the hair of her first-year high school son's head.