しゃぶる

• Reading: しゃぶる
• Romaji: shaburu
• Pronunciation: /ɕa.bɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To suck; to lick; to suck on. To place something in the mouth and draw on it with the lips or tongue.

A Group 1 (godan) verb written in hiragana. しゃぶる is the standard verb for sucking on something — a baby sucking a pacifier (おしゃぶりをしゃぶる), a person sucking candy, or licking fingers after a meal. It can sound coarse depending on context. The noun form おしゃぶり (pacifier) derives from this verb. In culinary contexts it describes sucking meat off bones (骨をしゃぶる), which can evoke rustic or enthusiastic eating.

Examples

1. 赤ちゃんが親指をしゃぶりながら眠そうな目をして、うとうとしている。 The baby was drowsily sucking its thumb, eyelids drooping with sleep.
2. 飴をしゃぶりながら考え込んでいたら、いつの間にか溶けてなくなっていた。 I was sucking on a hard candy lost in thought, and before I knew it, it had dissolved completely.
3. 焼き鳥の骨をしゃぶるのが好きだという人は思いのほか多い。 Surprisingly many people say they enjoy sucking the bones of yakitori skewers.

Usage Guide

Context: childcare, eating, daily life

Tone: colloquial, neutral to informal

Origin & History

A native Japanese verb with onomatopoeic roots suggesting the sound or sensation of sucking. The related noun おしゃぶり (baby's pacifier) is widely used. The verb appears in classical texts describing nursing infants and has remained in common colloquial use.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional-Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal