つつく
tsutsuku
To poke in Japanese is つつく (tsutsuku).
The verb つつく is used for repetitive or continuous poking, such as poking a fire with a stick or poking someone's cheek.
Meaning: to jab with an object such as a finger or a stick (verb)
Which one should you use?
The kanji for つつく is 突く, which is often used when the action involves a more forceful thrust or a sharp object.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form of つつく is つつきます. The past tense of つつく is つついた.
How do you pronounce it?
tsutsuku
Did you know?
- The word つつく describes how a bird pecks at its food, meaning the Japanese word for 'poke' and 'peck' is the same.
- The kanji for つつく, 突く, is also the character used in the word for 'sudden' or 'abrupt', such as in 突然 (totsuzen). This connects the physical act of a sharp poke to the feeling of a sudden, jolting movement.
- In Japanese martial arts, particularly Kendo, the term for a forceful thrusting strike with a bamboo sword is a 'tsuki', which shares its root with the verb つつく.
Examples in context
- ポケを食べたことがありますか？Have you ever eaten poke?
- 指で鳥をつつく。yubi de tori o tsutsuku.To poke a bird with a finger.
- 枝で窓をつつく。eda de mado o tsutsuku.To poke the window with a stick.
