expression, godan verb (-ku)
General expression for telling an untruth, from small fibs to serious lies. Used in everyday conversation.
彼はよく嘘をつく。
He often tells lies.
嘘をつくのは良くない。
It's not good to tell lies.
Standard kanji spelling using 嘘 for 'lie' and つく in kana.
Alternative spelling using 吐く, which can also mean 'to breathe out' or 'to utter', but is acceptable for 'to tell a lie'.
Irregular kanji usage; 付く normally means 'to attach', but is sometimes used for this expression.
嘘 (uso) is a native Japanese word for 'lie', and つく (tsuku) is a verb with many meanings; in this expression it means 'to utter' or 'to tell'. The combination is idiomatic.