首くびをくくる

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-ru)

hang oneself; strangle oneself

Refers to the act of committing suicide by hanging or self-strangulation. Often used in literal contexts, but can appear metaphorically in expressions about being in a desperate situation.

彼かれは借しゃっ金きんに追おわれて首くびをくくった。
He hanged himself, driven by debt.
そんなに悩なやむくらいなら首くびを

くくる

しか

ない

と

思おも

い

詰つ

め

て

い

た

。

He was so distressed that he thought he had no choice but to hang himself.

Written forms

首くびをくくる
Common kana-mixed spelling; the verb part is often written in kana to avoid rare kanji.
首くびを括くくる
Kanji spelling using 括る, which is acceptable but less common for this expression.
首くびを縊くくる
Rare kanji spelling using 縊る; this kanji is not commonly used and may be unfamiliar.

Kanji

首neck, counter for songs and poems
括fasten, tie up, arrest
縊strangle

Similar words

自じ殺さつする
自殺する is the general term for 'to commit suicide', while 首をくくる specifically means hanging or strangling oneself.
縊い死し
縊死 is a formal or medical term for death by hanging, whereas 首をくくる is a more colloquial expression.

Etymology

The expression literally means 'to bind/tie the neck'. 首 (neck) + を (object marker) + くくる (to tie/bind). The verb くくる is written with various kanji, but the core meaning of fastening or binding is consistent.