刺します（さします、sashimasu）
- to stab

The Japanese verb 刺します means "to sting," "to prick," "to stab," "to pierce," or "to inject." It describes the action of something sharp penetrating a surface, usually the skin. It can also refer to the sensation of being pricked or stung. The subject of this verb is usually the thing doing the stabbing or pricking, or the entity performing the action of injection. The meaning changes slightly depending on the context.

⚫︎蜂が私を刺しました。 Translation: The bee stung me. ⚫︎注射を刺します。 Translation: I'll give you an injection. ⚫︎ナイフで刺します。 Translation: To stab with a knife.

You use 刺します when describing actions involving something sharp entering something else, such as a needle, a thorn, or an insect stinger. It's often used in situations of injury, medical procedures, or, less commonly, in cooking with skewers or similar tools. It is a polite form. The plain form of this word is 刺す. Note that the specific nuance of "to inject" is usually associated with medical context.

刺します is written in hiragana as さします. The kanji form is 刺します. The base form 刺す uses the kanji 刺. There are no variations in okurigana. In other conjugations, the 刺す kanji is also used. Other forms: ・Present affirmative: 刺します (polite), 刺す (plain) ・Present negative: 刺しません (polite), 刺さない (plain) ・Past affirmative: 刺しました (polite), 刺した (plain) ・Past negative: 刺しませんでした (polite), 刺さなかった (plain)

⚫︎突く（つく） - to poke, to jab. More general. ⚫︎突き刺す（つきさす） - to stab; to pierce. Emphasizes the action of penetrating deeply. ⚫︎刺す（さす） - the base form, meaning "to sting", "to stab", "to prick", etc. These all share the common theme of something sharp making contact with and/or entering something else. The best one to use depends on the specific context and the level of formality you want to use.

There aren't direct antonyms for 刺します, as it is a specific action. However, words that describe the opposite action or state could include: ⚫︎抜く（ぬく） - to pull out, to extract. ⚫︎取り除く（とりのぞく） - to remove. These words describe removing or taking away something that had been inserted.

蚊が私の腕を刺しました。 ・Translation: A mosquito bit my arm. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of a mosquito stinging the speaker's arm.

医者は患者にワクチンを刺しました。 ・Translation: The doctor injected the vaccine into the patient. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the doctor performing an injection (注射, [注射を刺します]).

The kanji 刺 itself originally represented "thorn" or "splinter." Over time, it broadened to include the actions of piercing, stabbing, and stinging. The etymology is closely tied to the physical action of something sharp making contact with and penetrating something else, such as a needle, a thorn, or a weapon. The verb form 刺す is derived from this kanji.