godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
tear up; tear to pieces; tear to shreds
Transitive verb for tearing something apart by hand or with a pulling motion, often into small or irregular pieces.
古い手紙を細かくちぎって捨てた。
I tore the old letter into small pieces and threw it away.
パンをちぎってスープにつける。
Tear off pieces of bread and dip them in the soup.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
Used when pulling or tearing something off from where it is attached, such as fruit, leaves, or a small piece from a larger whole.
ぶどうを房から一粒ちぎって食べた。
I plucked one grape from the bunch and ate it.
バジルの葉を数枚ちぎってサラダに入れる。
Tear off a few basil leaves and put them in the salad.
suffix, godan verb (-ru)
do vigorously; do heartily; do to excess
Suffix attached to the masu-stem of another verb. It is limited and expressive, common in compounds such as 褒めちぎる, meaning to do the action lavishly, vigorously, or to an extreme degree.
監督は試合後、若い選手を褒めちぎった。
After the game, the coach praised the young player lavishly.