くじる

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

くじる · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	くじる	くじらない
Polite	くじります	くじりません
Past polite	くじりました	くじりませんでした
Past	くじった	くじらなかった
Te-form	くじって	くじらないで
Desire	くじりたい	くじりたくない
Potential	くじれる	くじれない
Passive	くじられる	くじられない
Causative	くじらせる	くじらせない
Causative passive	くじらせられるalso くじらされる	くじらせられないalso くじらされない
Volitional	くじろう
Polite volitional	くじりましょう
Imperative	くじれ	くじるな
Conditional	くじれば	くじらなければ
Tara conditional	くじったら	くじらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

poke around in; dig around in; pick

usually written using kana alone

Describes inserting a tool or finger into a small space and moving it around, often to clean or remove something. Common with 耳, 鼻, 歯, etc.

耳みみをくじらないでください。
Please don't poke around in your ear.
彼かれは爪つま楊よう枝じで歯はをくじっていた。
He was picking his teeth with a toothpick.

Usage patterns

耳みみを〈動どう詞し〉to pick/poke around in one's ear
綿わた棒ぼうで耳みみをくじった。
I poked around in my ear with a cotton swab.
歯はを〈動どう詞し〉to pick at one's teeth
爪つま楊よう枝じで歯はをくじった。
I picked at my teeth with a toothpick.
〈物もの〉で〈場ば所しょ〉をくじるto poke around in a spot with a tool
ピンで穴あなをくじって中なかの詰つまりを取とり出だした。
I poked around in the hole with a pin to get out what was clogging it.

Kanji

抉gouge, hollow out, bore

Related words

ほじる
ほじる is the more common, everyday word for poking or digging something out, while くじる suggests a more careful or delicate poking motion, as when picking one's teeth.

Don't confuse with

えぐる
抉る written えぐる means to forcefully gouge or hollow something out (e.g. a wound, one's feelings), while the same kanji read くじる describes a gentler, more careful poking motion, as in picking one's ear.

Written forms

くじるUsage100%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 抉る is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
抉くじる
Kanji form is uncommon; learners should prefer the kana spelling.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. Possibly related to the mimetic word くじくじ (hesitant, fumbling) or the verb くじく (to sprain, to dampen), but the connection is not clear.