指ゆび切きりげんまん

Meanings

A children's ritual where two people link little fingers while reciting a rhyme to seal a promise. The full rhyme is often 指切りげんまん、嘘ついたら針千本飲ます (Pinky swear, if you lie, you'll swallow a thousand needles).

See also: 指切りげんまん、嘘ついたら針千本飲ます

子こ供どもたちは指ゆび切きりげんまんをして約やく束そくを交かわした。
The children made a pinky swear to seal their promise.
「指ゆび切きりげんまん、嘘うそついたら針はり千せん本ぼん飲のます！」と二人ふたりは声こえを合あわせた。
They chanted together, 'Pinky swear, if you lie, you'll swallow a thousand needles!'

See all 13 example sentences ›

Expressions

指ゆび切きりげんまん、嘘うそついたら針はり千せん本ぼん飲のますpinky swear rhyme; cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye

Kanji

指finger, point to, indicate
切cut, cutoff, be sharp
拳fist
万ten thousand, 10,000

Related words

指ゆび切きり
指切り refers specifically to the act of linking little fingers to confirm a promise, while 指切りげんまん includes the accompanying rhyme and the full ritual.

Written forms

指ゆび切きりげんまん
Most common spelling; uses kanji for 指切り and kana for げんまん.
指ゆびきりげんまん
Variant with きり in kana; also widely seen.
指ゆび切きり拳げん万まん
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji spelling for げんまん (拳万); not commonly used.

Etymology

The phrase is a set expression from children's folklore. 指切り (yubikiri) means 'finger-cutting' and refers to the gesture of linking little fingers. げんまん (genman) is said to be a corruption of 拳万 (kenman), meaning 'ten thousand fists', implying a severe punishment for breaking the promise. The exact origin is uncertain.