いじります（いじります、ijirimasu）
- to tamper

The Japanese verb いじります (i-ji-ri-masu) has a range of meanings, all revolving around the idea of manipulating, fiddling with, or meddling with something. The nuance depends heavily on the context, but the core concept is usually a hands-on interaction that is more than just a casual glance. It often implies a degree of alteration or impact. Here are some of the key meanings: ⚫︎ To touch, handle, or fiddle with something. This can be neutral or even positive. ⚫︎ To tamper with or modify something. This often implies a deliberate change. ⚫︎ To tease, pick on, or make fun of someone. This carries a negative connotation. ⚫︎ To repair or adjust something (mechanically or otherwise). ⚫︎ To poke around, investigate, or explore something.

⚫︎ 機械をいじります。 Translation: I'm fiddling with the machine. ⚫︎ 弟のゲームをいじって怒られた。 Translation: I messed with my younger brother's game and got yelled at. ⚫︎ 髪の毛をいじらないで！ Translation: Don't touch your hair!

⚫︎ Use いじります when you are referring to the act of handling, modifying, or interacting with something, whether it’s an object, a person, or a situation. ⚫︎ Pay close attention to the context to understand the specific meaning. A gentle handling of an object or teasing someone. ⚫︎ Depending on the context, いじります can be polite or informal.

⚫︎ Typically written in hiragana as いじります. ⚫︎ The kanji form is 弄ります. ⚫︎ The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is consistent as いじります. ⚫︎ Other conjugations include: ⚫︎ Present affirmative: いじりますいじります ⚫︎ Present negative: いじりません ⚫︎ Past affirmative: いじりました ⚫︎ Past negative: いじりませんでした ⚫︎ Informal: いじる, いじる. ⚫︎ ～たい form: いじりたい ⚫︎ ～させる form: いじらせる ⚫︎ Potential form: いじれる ⚫︎ Passive form: いじられる

⚫︎ 触る (さわる - sawaru): To touch. ⚫︎ 弄る (もてあそぶ - moteasobu): To toy with, to play with. ⚫︎ いじる (informal form of いじります): To tamper with, to mess with. ⚫︎ 操作する (そうさする - sousa suru): To operate, to manipulate. ⚫︎ 調整する (ちょうせいする - chousei suru): To adjust. ⚫︎ からかう (karakau): To tease.

⚫︎ Depends on the context. No direct antonym that covers all meanings of いじります. ⚫︎ For "to touch/handle": 触らない (sawaranai - don't touch). ⚫︎ For "to tease": 褒める (homeru - to praise). ⚫︎ For "to tamper with": そのままにする (sonomama ni suru - to leave as is). ⚫︎ For "repair or adjust": depends on the object.

壊れた時計を直すために、色々いじりました。 ・Translation: I fiddled with the broken watch to fix it. ・Explanation: This sentence uses いじり (the stem of いじります) to show the action of working on the watch to repair it.

彼はいつも自分の車をいじっている。 ・Translation: He's always tinkering with his car. ・Explanation: This sentence uses the informal form of いじります (いじって) showing that he likes to handle or modify his car.

The etymology of いじります is related to the word いじる. The kanji 弄(rou) means to handle, play with, or to toy with. It is thought to come from the concept of manipulating something with one's hands, adding an element of curiosity or meddling to the interaction.