Translation guide
The English idiom "rake over the coals" means to scold or reprimand someone severely. In Japanese, there is no direct equivalent idiom, but several expressions convey a similar sense of harsh scolding or criticism.
Expressing the act of harshly criticizing or scolding someone for a mistake or wrongdoing.
Literally 'to scold and send flying', this is a common and natural way to express scolding someone harshly.
上司に遅刻を叱り飛ばされた。
I was raked over the coals by my boss for being late.
Means 'to scold severely' or 'to give a harsh scolding'. The adverb こっぴどく intensifies the scolding.
彼はミスをして、部長にこっぴどく叱られた。
He made a mistake and was raked over the coals by the department head.
An idiomatic expression meaning 'to get a big scolding' or 'to be chewed out'. Literally 'to eat a big eyeball', it implies a severe reprimand.
遅刻したら、社長から大目玉を食らった。
When I was late, I got raked over the coals by the company president.
A more formal expression meaning 'to reprimand severely'. Suitable for written or formal contexts.
委員会はその不正行為を厳しく叱責した。
The committee raked over the coals for that misconduct.
An onomatopoeic expression for nagging or scolding in a harsh, grating manner. Often used for persistent scolding.
母に部屋の掃除をしなかったことでガミガミ言われた。
My mom raked me over the coals for not cleaning my room.
The phrase 'rake over the coals' translated literally as 炭火をかき回す (sumibi o kakimawasu) does not convey the meaning of scolding in Japanese. It would be interpreted as a physical action, not an idiom.