叱ります（しかります、shikarimasu）
- to scold

The Japanese verb 叱ります (読み方: しかります, romaji: shikarimasu) means "to scold," "to reprimand," "to tell off," or "to rebuke" someone. It implies expressing disapproval of someone's actions, words, or behavior. It is a more direct and sometimes harsher form of communication than simply giving advice or gently correcting someone. The action of 叱ります involves expressing your dissatisfaction with something someone has done, often with a raised voice or a serious tone.

⚫︎ 先生は宿題を忘れた生徒を叱りました。 Translation: The teacher scolded the student who forgot their homework. ⚫︎ 母は弟が嘘をついたので、叱りました。 Translation: My mother scolded my younger brother because he told a lie. ⚫︎ 彼は遅刻をしたので、上司に叱られました。 (Passive form) Translation: He was scolded by his boss because he was late.

⚫︎ Use 叱ります when you want to express your disapproval of someone's actions. ⚫︎ It's often used when someone has done something wrong, violated rules, or behaved inappropriately. ⚫︎ The tone when using 叱ります is usually serious or stern. ⚫︎ The person doing the scolding (the speaker) is usually in a position of authority or has a higher social status than the person being scolded. For example, parents scold children, teachers scold students, and bosses scold employees. ⚫︎ You can use 叱ります when you're angry or upset, but you can also use it to try to correct someone's behavior. The goal is to make the person understand their mistake and improve.

⚫︎ The base form of the verb is 叱る (shikaru). ⚫︎ The polite form, or the -masu form, is 叱ります. ⚫︎ The verb is written in kanji 叱, with the hiragana ending ります for the polite form. ⚫︎ The okurigana is standard and is always ります in the polite form.

⚫︎ 怒る (okoru) - to get angry ⚫︎ 注意する (chuu-i suru) - to warn, to caution ⚫︎ 𠮟る (shikaru) - another kanji for 叱ります, less common ⚫︎ 𠮟責する (sekisai suru) - to reprimand harshly

⚫︎ 褒める (homeru) - to praise, to compliment ⚫︎ 認める (mitomeru) - to recognize, to acknowledge

子供が約束を守らなかったので、母親は優しく叱りました。 ・Translation: Because the child didn't keep their promise, the mother gently scolded them. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates how 叱ります is used in a specific context. It shows that even when scolding, the parent's intention might be to teach a lesson or correct a behavior.

彼は会社の規則を破ったので、上司に厳しく叱られました。 ・Translation: He broke the company rules, so he was severely scolded by his boss. ・Explanation: This example uses the passive form of 叱ります, showing how the action is received by someone. It reflects a more serious situation where a person's actions have warranted a more severe reaction.

The etymology of 叱る is not definitively known, but it is believed to have originated from an ancient Japanese word related to expressions of disapproval or reprimand. The kanji 叱 itself has components that suggest "to shout" or "to scold," supporting the word's meaning. The character has been used for centuries, showing the historical role of this concept in Japanese culture.