削ぐ

• Reading: そぐ
• Romaji: sogu
• Kanji breakdown: 削 (so) — to shave, pare down
• Pronunciation: /so.ɡɯ/

Meaning

To chip; to whittle; to dampen; to reduce. To shave away material or diminish the force, enthusiasm, or scale of something.

A Group 1 (godan) verb. 削ぐ has both a concrete sense — 削ぎ身 (thinly sliced fish cut at an angle) — and an abstract sense: 意欲を削ぐ (to dampen enthusiasm), 勢いを削ぐ (to reduce momentum), 面目を削ぐ (to undermine prestige). The abstract use is highly prevalent in contemporary Japanese, especially in workplace and social commentary. The compound 削ぎ落とす (to strip away completely) is derived from this verb.

Examples

1. 上司の一言が新入社員のやる気を削いでしまうことは珍しくない。 It is not uncommon for a single word from a superior to dampen a new employee's motivation.
2. 突然の悪天候が遠足の楽しい雰囲気を削ぎ、子どもたちは落胆した。 Sudden bad weather dampened the cheerful mood of the excursion, and the children were crestfallen.
3. 包丁を斜めに入れて野菜を削ぐように切ると、表面積が増えて火が通りやすくなる。 Holding the knife at an angle and cutting vegetables with a shaving motion increases the surface area and helps heat penetrate more easily.

Usage Guide

Context: motivation, cooking, social dynamics, workplace, competition

Tone: neutral to negative (abstract use)

Origin & History

A native Japanese verb written with the kanji 削 (to shave, pare down). Related to 削る (kezu-ru — to shave, reduce) but 削ぐ implies a lateral shaving motion (like slicing at an angle) rather than progressive grinding. The abstract sense of 'dampening' derives from the image of slicing away at something's force.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional-Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal