しかる

し

か

る

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

scold; tell off; reprimand

usually written using kana alone

Used when someone in a position of authority (parent, teacher, boss) verbally admonishes someone for doing something wrong. Stronger than 注意する but not as harsh as 怒鳴る.

母ははは私わたしが嘘うそをついたのでしかった。
My mother scolded me because I told a lie.

先せん生せいは遅ち刻こくした生せい徒とをしかった。

The teacher scolded the student who was late.

Written forms

しかるUsage32%
Kana spelling is the most common and recommended form for this word.
叱しかるUsage68%
Common kanji form, but It is usually written in kana.
呵しかるUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
𠮟しかる
Variant kanji form; rarely used.

Kanji

叱scold, reprove
呵scold, blow on, reprove

Similar words

怒おこる
怒る means 'to get angry' and focuses on the emotion, while しかる means 'to scold' and focuses on the act of reprimanding someone for their misbehavior.
注ちゅう意いする
注意する is milder and means 'to warn' or 'to give a caution', often used for minor mistakes or potential dangers, whereas しかる implies a stronger, more direct reprimand.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it may be related to the classical verb 叱る (shikaru), which has been used with the same meaning since the Heian period.