蹴る

• Reading: ける
• Romaji: keru
• Kanji breakdown: 蹴 (shū/ke) — kick, strike with foot
• Pronunciation: /ke.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To kick. To strike something with the foot.

A Group 1 (godan) verb conjugated with the る row. Used for physical kicking (a ball, a person) and figuratively for rejecting an offer (提案を蹴る — to kick back a proposal). Very common in sports contexts, especially soccer. The kanji is complex but the word itself is everyday vocabulary.

Examples

1. サッカーでボールを思い切り蹴った。 I kicked the ball as hard as I could in soccer.
2. 弟が私の椅子を蹴ってきた。 My little brother kicked my chair.
3. せっかくの提案を蹴るなんてもったいない。 It's a waste to turn down such a good offer.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, daily life, colloquial

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 蹴 combines 足 (foot) and 就 (to approach/take position), depicting the action of striking with a positioned foot.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal