いじくる

い

じ

く

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

finger; fiddle with; toy with

usually written using kana alone

Casual, often aimless handling of a physical object with one's hands.

彼かれは話はなしながら、ペンをいじくっていた。
He was fiddling with a pen while talking.

2

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

tinker with; tamper with; make changes to

usually written using kana alone

Making small, often experimental adjustments to a device, system, or plan; can imply meddling.

スマホの設せっ定ていをいじくるのが好すきだ。
I like tinkering with my smartphone settings.

3

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

dabble in; play around with; do as a hobby

usually written using kana alone

Engaging in an activity casually or as a hobby, without serious commitment.

最さい近きん、プログラミングをいじくっている。
Lately I've been dabbling in programming.

Written forms

弄いじくる
irregular okurigana
Kanji spelling with irregular okurigana; the word is usually written in kana.
いじくるUsage93%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written this way.
弄いじくるUsage7%
Full kanji spelling; very rare in modern usage.

Kanji

弄play with, tamper, trifle with

Similar words

触さわる
触る means simply 'to touch', while いじくる implies more active, often restless handling or tinkering.
弄もてあそぶ
弄ぶ is more literary and often carries a nuance of toying with someone's emotions or treating something carelessly, whereas いじくる is casual and physical.

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 弄 is associated with 'playing with' or 'toying with', and the reading いじくる may be of mimetic or colloquial origin.