ゲロる

• Reading: ゲロる
• Romaji: geroru
• Pronunciation: /ɡe.ɾo.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To confess or spill the beans; to reveal a secret you were holding back.

ゲロる literally comes from ゲロ (vomit), used metaphorically to mean 'spilling' information you were keeping inside. It is a vivid, somewhat crude way to describe confessing or revealing hidden information. The image is of secrets being held inside and then coming out all at once, like being sick. Used in both lighthearted contexts (confessing a crush) and more serious ones (admitting wrongdoing).

Examples

1. 問い詰められてついゲロっちゃった。 They grilled me and I ended up spilling everything.
2. 誰が犯人かゲロるまで帰さないぞ。 I'm not letting you leave until you spill who did it.
3. 飲み会で酔ってゲロった秘密を翌日後悔した。 I spilled a secret while drunk at the party and regretted it the next day.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, gossip, interrogation (playful), drinking parties

Tone: confrontational, dramatic, playful

Do Say

• もうゲロっちゃいなよ、みんな知ってるから。 (Just spill it already — everyone knows anyway.)
• 酔った勢いでゲロった話を素面で聞かされるの最悪。 (It's the worst when someone retells the secret you spilled while drunk, when you're sober.)

Don't Say

• フォーマルな場で「ゲロる」は下品すぎる (Using ゲロる in formal settings is too vulgar — use 白状する or 打ち明ける instead)

Common Mistakes

• Using ゲロる in polite company — the vomit metaphor makes it quite crude and it should be reserved for casual situations with close friends

Origin & History

From ゲロ (vomit) + る (verb suffix), creating a metaphor of 'vomiting up' secrets or confessions. Emerged in 1990s youth slang. The crude imagery makes it more emphatic than simply saying 告白する (to confess).

Cultural Context

Era: 1990s youth slang

Generation: Teens to 30s

Social background: Universal, casual settings only

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The vividly physical metaphor is typical of Japanese slang's tendency to create verbs from bodily functions.