チクる

• Reading: チクる
• Romaji: chikuru
• Pronunciation: /tɕi.kɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To snitch, tattle, or grass on someone — reporting someone's wrongdoing to an authority figure.

チクる is the go-to slang for telling on someone, whether it is a child reporting a classmate to the teacher or an adult informing a boss about a colleague's mistake. It carries a strong negative connotation — the person who チクる is seen as disloyal and sneaky. In Japanese group culture where loyalty and not rocking the boat are highly valued, being labelled a チクる person is seriously damaging to social standing.

Examples

1. あいつ先生にチクりやがった、最低。 That jerk snitched to the teacher — what a lowlife.
2. チクるなよ、みんなでやったことだろ。 Don't rat us out — we all did it together.
3. 誰がチクったか分かったら絶交だわ。 If I find out who snitched, we're done being friends.

Usage Guide

Context: school, workplace gossip, friends, complaints about betrayal

Tone: accusatory, resentful, warning

Do Say

• チクるつもりはないけど知っちゃったんだよね。 (I don't plan to snitch, but I happened to find out.)
• チクったの誰だよ。 (Who snitched?)

Don't Say

• いじめの報告を「チクる」と呼ぶのは危険 (Calling the reporting of bullying 'snitching' is dangerous — it discourages victims from seeking help)

Common Mistakes

• Using チクる in formal or professional contexts — the proper term for reporting is 報告する (houkoku suru) or 通報する (tsuuhou suru)

Origin & History

Thought to be onomatopoeic, evoking the 'chiku chiku' (ちくちく) pricking/stinging sensation — like a needle prick, the pain of being betrayed by a snitch. Became widespread in 1980s school slang and has remained standard youth vocabulary ever since.

Cultural Context

Era: 1980s school slang

Generation: All ages, learned in childhood

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Reflects the cultural weight of group loyalty (仲間意識) — being a チクり (snitch) violates unwritten social codes.