蹴る
keru[ke̞ɾɯ̟]
The Japanese verb for "kick" is 蹴る (keru). If unsure, use 蹴る. Wiktionary also lists キックする (kikku suru).
Meaning: strike with or raise the foot or leg (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 蹴る | keru | [ke̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| キックする | kikku suru |
The verb refers to striking or raising something with the foot or leg. You may also use the related nouns 蹴り and キック to mean a hit or strike with the leg or foot.
Which one should you use?
蹴る is the native Japanese verb, whereas キックする is a loanword from English. The latter is often used specifically in the context of sports like soccer.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of the verb is 蹴った, and the negative form is 蹴らない. You can also create the compound verb 蹴り上げる by adding the verb 上げる (to raise) to the stem of 蹴る, which means to kick upwards.
How do you pronounce it?
keru
Did you know?
- The verb 蹴る is a linguistic oddity because it was once the only 'lower monograde' verb in Early Middle Japanese. It eventually shifted its entire conjugation pattern to become a 'quadrigrade' verb in the Edo period.
- While 蹴る is a verb, the related noun 蹴り is used to categorize different types of strikes in traditional Japanese martial arts.
Examples in context
- 彼はボールを蹴りました。He kicked the ball.
- 相手の膝をけってしまいました。I accidentally kicked his knee.
- ボールを強く蹴る。Bōru o tsuyoku keru.Kick the ball hard.
Example conversation
Misaki and Daito are playing soccer in a park.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔、もっと強く蹴って！Daito, motto tsuyoku kette!Daito, kick it harder!
- 大翔 Hirotoわかった。全力で蹴るよ。Wakatta. Zenryoku de keru yo.Got it. I'll kick it with all my might.
- 美咲 Misakiいいボールが来たね。Ii bōru ga kita ne.That was a great ball.
- 大翔 Hiroto今の蹴り方はどうだった？Ima no kerikata wa dō datta?How was my kicking form just now?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kick” translations and entries 蹴る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 蹴る, CC BY-SA 4.0.
