揺さぶる

• Reading: ゆさぶる
• Romaji: yusaburu
• Kanji breakdown: 揺 (yusa/yō) — to shake, sway, swing
• Pronunciation: /jɯ.sa.bɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To shake; to jolt; to rock; to sway. Implies vigorous, repeated shaking of something or someone.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb. Stronger and more vigorous than 揺らす or 揺する. Used both physically (shaking someone awake, rocking a cradle) and figuratively (shaking someone's confidence, rocking the foundations of something). Often implies deliberate, forceful action.

Examples

1. 母は眠っている子供の肩を揺さぶって起こした。 The mother shook her sleeping child by the shoulders to wake him up.
2. 大地震が街全体を激しく揺さぶった。 The massive earthquake violently shook the entire city.
3. 彼のスピーチは聴衆の心を揺さぶった。 His speech stirred the hearts of the audience.

Usage Guide

Context: physical action, emotions, natural disasters

Tone: forceful

Origin & History

Intensified form of 揺する (to shake). The kanji 揺 contains the hand radical 扌 and 遥 (distant/swaying), conveying the motion of swinging back and forth.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal