振る

• Reading: ふる
• Romaji: furu
• Kanji breakdown: 振 (shin/fu) — shake, wave, swing
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To wave; to shake; to swing. Also means to sprinkle, to assign a role, or to reject someone romantically.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb with many uses: 手を振る (wave one's hand), 首を振る (shake one's head), 塩を振る (sprinkle salt), 役を振る (assign a role), 振られた (got dumped). Context determines the meaning. Very common in everyday conversation.

Examples

1. 友達に手を振って別れた。 I waved goodbye to my friend.
2. 料理にスパイスを振ると美味しくなる。 Sprinkling spices on the dish makes it tastier.
3. 犬が嬉しそうにしっぽを振っている。 The dog is happily wagging its tail.

Usage Guide

Context: greetings, cooking, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 振 combines 手 (hand radical) and 辰 (to move/extend), representing the movement of swinging the hand.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal