How to say "pierce" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 貫くつらぬくgodan verb, transitive verbTo pierce or penetrate by going all the way through something, as a bullet or beam passing straight through a wall or body. The emphasis is on passing through rather than on the act of stabbing.
- 突き刺すつきさすgodan verb, transitive verbTo thrust a sharp object into something so that it pierces it — stabbing with deliberate force, such as a knife driven into a target. The agent actively thrusts.
- 突き刺さるつきささるgodan verb, intransitive verbThe intransitive counterpart: a sharp object sticks into or pierces something on its own, without an agent expressed — an arrow pierces a target, a thorn pierces the skin.
- 刺すさすgodan verb, transitive verbTo pierce, stab, or prick with a pointed object, as with a needle, toothpick, or mosquito. Covers both quick jabs and light pricks; the most general everyday choice for piercing with a point.
- 突き破るつきやぶるgodan verb, transitive verbTo pierce in the sense of breaking through a barrier or surface with force, like punching through a wall or door. The result is something torn or broken open, not merely penetrated by a point.
Choose 「刺す」 or 「突き刺す」 for stabbing with a sharp point, 「突き刺さる」 when something pierces of itself, 「貫く」 for going straight through, and 「突き破る」 for breaking through a barrier.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 貫くつらぬくto go through
- 突き刺すつきさすto stab
- 突き刺さるつきささるto stick (into)
- 刺すさすto pierce
- 突き破るつきやぶるto break through
- 貫き通すつらぬきとおすto go through
- 刺さるささるto stick into (of something with a sharp point)
- しみるto soak (into)
- ぶち抜くぶちぬくto pierce
- 打ち抜くうちぬくto go through (e.g. a wall)
- 突き通すつきとおすto pierce
- 射通すいとおすto pierce
- 刺し貫くさしつらぬくto pierce
- 突き抜くつきぬくto pierce
- 射抜くいぬくto shoot through (a wall, the heart, etc.)
- 穿つうがつto drill
- つんざくto break
- 刺し通すさしとおすto stab
- 劈へきbreak
- ぶっこ抜くぶっこぬくto pierce
- 立つたつto get stuck (into; of an arrow, thorn etc.)
- 抜くぬくto pierce
- 通るとおるto penetrate
See also
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