How to say "stab" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 突くつくgodan verb, transitive verbCovers 'stab' but also 'prick' and 'thrust'; the action is a quick forward poke rather than deep piercing. Typical for jabbing motions, including pointing or nudging with a finger or object.
- 突き刺すつきさすgodan verb, transitive verbThe emphatic 'stab': thrusting something in so it pierces deeply, as with a knife or skewer. Choose this when you want a vivid, forceful image of the blade going through or into the target.
- 突きつきnounA noun meaning a thrust or stab, especially a lunge or a pass in fencing. This is the word you want for the action or technique as a name, not for describing someone stabbing in a sentence.
- 刺すさすgodan verb, transitive verbThe most typical verb for 'stab', covering piercing, pricking, and sticking into something, as with a knife, needle, or thorn. A safe default whenever English 'stab' means penetrating with a pointed object.
Use the verb 「突く」 or 「刺す」 for general stabbing or pricking, 「突き刺す」 for forceful piercing, and the noun 「突き」 for a thrust or stab as a movement, as in fencing.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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