蹴る

Japanese

Kanji in this term
蹴
け Grade: S
kun'yomi

Etymology

*/kuwu/ → /kuweru/ → /kʷeru/ → /keru/

From Old Japanese verb 蹴う (kuu), from Proto-Japonic *kuw-a-.

Development

Natural progression from Old and Classical Japanese 下(しも)二(に)段(だん)活(かつ)用(よう) (shimo nidan katsuyō, “lower bigrade conjugation”) verbs ending in -u to modern Japanese 下(しも)一(いち)段(だん)活(かつ)用(よう) (shimo ichidan katsuyō, “lower monograde conjugation”) verbs ending in -eru.

The conjugation shifted from 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, “bigrade conjugation”) (/kuwe-/, /kuu/) to 下一段活用 (shimo ichidan katsuyō, “monograde conjugation”) (/kʷe-/, /kʷeru/) in Early Middle Japanese. This verb was the only shimo ichidan verb in Early Middle Japanese.^[1]

Pronunciation of /kʷe/ changed to /ke/ before around 1300.^[1]

The conjugation irregularly shifted from 下一段活用 (shimo ichidan katsuyō, “monograde conjugation”) (/ke-/, /keru/) to 四段活用 (yodan katsuyō, “quadrigrade conjugation”) (/ker-/, /keru/) after the early Edo period.^[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ける [kéꜜrù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]^[3]^[4] as a godan verb
IPA^(key): [ke̞ɾɯ̟]

Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 蹴る

Plain	蹴る	ける	`[kéꜜrù]`
Conjunctive	蹴って	けって	`[kéꜜttè]`
Perfective	蹴った	けった	`[kéꜜttà]`
Negative	蹴らない	けらない	`[kèráꜜnàì]`
Negative perfective	蹴らなかった	けらなかった	`[kèráꜜnàkàttà]`
Hypothetical conditional	蹴れば	ければ	`[kéꜜrèbà]`
Past conditional	蹴ったら	けったら	`[kéꜜttàrà]`
Imperative	蹴れ	けれ	`[kéꜜrè]`
Volitional	蹴ろう	けろー	`[kèróꜜò]`
Desiderative	蹴りたい	けりたい	`[kèrítáꜜì]`
Formal	蹴ります	けります	`[kèrímáꜜsù]`
Formal negative	蹴りません	けりません	`[kèrímáséꜜǹ]`
Formal volitional	蹴りましょう	けりましょー	`[kèrímáshóꜜò]`
Formal perfective	蹴りました	けりました	`[kèrímáꜜshìtà]`
Continuative	蹴り蹴りに	けりけりに	`[kéꜜrì]` `[kéꜜrì nì]`
Negative continuative	蹴らず蹴らずに	けらずけらずに	`[kèráꜜzù]` `[kèráꜜzù nì]`
Passive	蹴られる	けられる	`[kèráréꜜrù]`
Causative	蹴らせる蹴らす	けらせるけらす	`[kèráséꜜrù]` `[kèráꜜsù]`
Potential	蹴れる	けれる	`[kèréꜜrù]`

Verb

蹴(け)る • (keru) transitive godan (stem 蹴(け)り (keri), past 蹴(け)った (ketta))

to kick (something)
ボールを蹴(け)った。
Bōru o ketta.
(He) kicked the ball.
to leave a place, particularly in a wild, angry, or violent fashion: to storm out (in the form 席を蹴る (seki o keru, “to kick one's seat”))
会(かい)議(ぎ)の席(せき)を蹴(け)って部屋(へや)を出(で)た。
Kaigi no seki o kette heya o deta.
(He) stormed out of the conference room.
to reject
申(もう)し出(で)を蹴(け)った。
Mōshide o ketta.
(He) refused the proposal.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "蹴る" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	蹴ら	けら	kera
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	蹴り	けり	keri
Shūshikei ("terminal")	蹴る	ける	keru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	蹴る	ける	keru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	蹴れ	けれ	kere
Meireikei ("imperative")	蹴れ	けれ	kere
Key constructions
Passive	蹴られる	けられる	kerareru
Causative	蹴らせる蹴らす	けらせるけらす	keraseru kerasu
Potential	蹴れる	けれる	kereru
Volitional	蹴ろう	けろう	kerō
Negative	蹴らない	けらない	keranai
Negative continuative	蹴らず	けらず	kerazu
Formal	蹴ります	けります	kerimasu
Perfective	蹴った	けった	ketta
Conjunctive	蹴って	けって	kette
Hypothetical conditional	蹴れば	ければ	kereba

Old Japanese:

Classical conjugation of "蹴う" (ワ行下二段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	蹴ゑ	くゑ	kuwe
Continuative (連用形)	蹴ゑ	くゑ	kuwe
Terminal (終止形)	蹴う	くう	kuu
Attributive (連体形)	蹴うる	くうる	kuuru
Realis (已然形)	蹴うれ	くうれ	kuure
Imperative (命令形)	蹴ゑよ	くゑよ	kuweyo
Key constructions
Negative	蹴ゑず	くゑず	kuwezu
Contrasting conjunction	蹴うれど	くうれど	kuuredo
Causal conjunction	蹴うれば	くうれば	kuureba
Conditional conjunction	蹴ゑば	くゑば	kuweba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	蹴ゑき	くゑき	kuweki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	蹴ゑけり	くゑけり	kuwekeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	蹴ゑつ	くゑつ	kuwetu
Perfect tense (natural event)	蹴ゑぬ	くゑぬ	kuwenu
Perfect-continuative tense	蹴ゑたり	くゑたり	kuwetari
Volitional	蹴ゑむ	くゑむ	kuwemu

Early Middle Japanese, early Late Middle Japanese (before around 1300):

Classical conjugation of "蹴ゑる" (カ行下一段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	蹴ゑ	くゑ	kwe
Continuative (連用形)	蹴ゑ	くゑ	kwe
Terminal (終止形)	蹴ゑる	くゑる	kweru
Attributive (連体形)	蹴ゑる	くゑる	kweru
Realis (已然形)	蹴ゑれ	くゑれ	kwere
Imperative (命令形)	蹴ゑよ	くゑよ	kweyo
Key constructions
Negative	蹴ゑず	くゑず	kwezu
Contrasting conjunction	蹴ゑれど	くゑれど	kweredo
Causal conjunction	蹴ゑれば	くゑれば	kwereba
Conditional conjunction	蹴ゑば	くゑば	kweba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	蹴ゑき	くゑき	kweki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	蹴ゑけり	くゑけり	kwekeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	蹴ゑつ	くゑつ	kwetu
Perfect tense (natural event)	蹴ゑぬ	くゑぬ	kwenu
Perfect-continuative tense	蹴ゑたり	くゑたり	kwetari
Volitional	蹴ゑむ	くゑむ	kwemu

Late Middle Japanese since around 1300:

Classical conjugation of "蹴る" (カ行下一段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	蹴	け	ke
Continuative (連用形)	蹴	け	ke
Terminal (終止形)	蹴る	ける	keru
Attributive (連体形)	蹴る	ける	keru
Realis (已然形)	蹴れ	けれ	kere
Imperative (命令形)	蹴よ	けよ	keyo
Key constructions
Negative	蹴ず	けず	kezu
Contrasting conjunction	蹴れど	けれど	keredo
Causal conjunction	蹴れば	ければ	kereba
Conditional conjunction	蹴ば	けば	keba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	蹴き	けき	keki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	蹴けり	けけり	kekeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	蹴つ	けつ	ketu
Perfect tense (natural event)	蹴ぬ	けぬ	kenu
Perfect-continuative tense	蹴たり	けたり	ketari
Volitional	蹴む	けむ	kemu

Modern Japanese, classical conjugation:

Classical conjugation of "蹴る" (ラ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	蹴ら	けら	kera
Continuative (連用形)	蹴り	けり	keri
Terminal (終止形)	蹴る	ける	keru
Attributive (連体形)	蹴る	ける	keru
Realis (已然形)	蹴れ	けれ	kere
Imperative (命令形)	蹴れ	けれ	kere
Key constructions
Negative	蹴らず	けらず	kerazu
Contrasting conjunction	蹴れど	けれど	keredo
Causal conjunction	蹴れば	ければ	kereba
Conditional conjunction	蹴らば	けらば	keraba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	蹴りき	けりき	keriki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	蹴りけり	けりけり	kerikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	蹴りつ	けりつ	keritu
Perfect tense (natural event)	蹴りぬ	けりぬ	kerinu
Perfect-continuative tense	蹴れり蹴りたり	けれりけりたり	kereri keritari
Volitional	蹴らむ	けらむ	keramu

Derived terms

蹴(け)り (keri)
蹴(け)り上(あ)げる (keriageru)
蹴(け)り込(こ)む (kerikomu)
蹴(け)り出(だ)す (keridasu)
蹴(け)り板(いた) (keriita), 蹴(け)板(いた) (keita)
蹴(け)り彫(ぼ)り (keribori)
飛(と)び蹴(げ)り, 跳(と)び蹴(げ)り (tobigeri)
足(あし)蹴(げ)り (ashigeri)
膝(ひざ)蹴(げ)り (hizageri)
石(いし)蹴(け)り (ishikeri)
缶(かん)蹴(け)り (kankeri)
二(に)枚(まい)蹴(げ)り (nimai-geri)
回(まわ)し蹴(げ)り (mawashigeri)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 “蹴”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

“蹴る”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

[KDJ2-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 “蹴”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[SMK5-3] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-4] NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

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