めくる

め

く

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

turn over; turn pages; leaf through

usually written using kana alone

Used for flipping or turning pages, cards, or thin flat objects; also for browsing through a book or stack of papers.

本ほんのページをめくる。
I turn the pages of a book.
トランプを一いち枚まいめくってください。
Please turn over one card.

2

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

tear off; strip off; pull off

usually written using kana alone

Used for forcefully removing something that is attached or covering a surface, such as peeling off a sticker, tearing up floorboards, or pulling off a blanket. Often implies a rough or quick action.

布ふ団とんをめくって起おき上あがった。
I threw off the futon and got up.
床ゆか板いたをめくって修しゅう理りする。
We pull up the floorboards to make repairs.

Written forms

めくるUsage96%
Kana spelling is standard; the kanji 捲る is rare and may be confused with other readings.
捲めくるUsage4%
Kanji form is uncommon and can be misread; use kana in most contexts.

Kanji

捲roll, wind, coil

Similar words

はがす
はがす means to peel off something stuck on, like a sticker or tape, often more carefully. めくる in sense 2 implies a rougher or quicker removal, like tearing off or flipping over a covering.
めくれる
めくれる is the intransitive counterpart, meaning something gets turned up or rolled back by itself, e.g., a page curls up.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain; it may be related to the mimetic root めく (as in めくめく, describing something turning or flipping). The kanji 捲 is used for its meaning of 'roll up' or 'turn over', but the word is native Japanese.