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首にする (くびにする) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

くびにする

く

び

に

す

る

JLPTN2

Meanings

1

expression, suru verb (irregular)

fire; sack; dismiss

usually written using kana alone

Colloquial expression for dismissing someone from a job. Often used in casual conversation.

会かい社しゃは彼かれを首くびにした。
The company fired him.

あの社しゃ員いんを首くびにしよう。

Let's fire that employee.

Written forms

首くびにする
Kanji form is common and clear, though The expression is usually written in kana.
クビにする
kana-only spelling
Katakana form is also used, especially in casual or emphatic contexts.

Kanji

首neck, counter for songs and poems

Similar words

解かい雇こする
Formal term for dismissal; used in official contexts, while 首にする is casual and conversational.
クビになる
Intransitive counterpart meaning 'to be fired'; 首にする is the transitive action of firing someone.

Etymology

Literally 'to make into a neck', from the image of cutting off someone's head, i.e., removing them from a position. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is a common colloquialism.