たまげる

た

ま

げ

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

usually written using kana alone

Colloquial and somewhat old-fashioned; often used in casual speech to express strong surprise. The kanji form is rare.

急きゅうに大おおきな音おとがして、みんなたまげた。

Suddenly there was a loud noise, and everyone was startled.

たまげるUsage88%
Usually written in kana. The kanji form 魂消る is rare and may not be recognized by many readers.
魂たま消げるUsage12%
Rare kanji spelling. The reading is not obvious from the characters, and the form is seldom used.

驚おどろく
驚く is the standard, neutral word for 'be surprised'. たまげる is more colloquial and carries a stronger, more informal sense of shock.
びっくりする
びっくりする is a very common casual expression for surprise. たまげる is less common and can sound more rustic or emphatic.

Derived from たまきえる (魂消える), literally 'soul disappears', a classical expression for being extremely surprised. The modern form たまげる is a contraction.