いじめ（いじめ、ijime）
- bullying

The Japanese word いじめいじめ refers to bullying. It encompasses various forms of harassment, mistreatment, and intimidation, often targeted at vulnerable individuals, usually in schools or workplaces. This can range from verbal abuse to physical violence, social exclusion, and cyberbullying. The core concept involves a power imbalance where one person or group intentionally causes distress to another. The actions of いじめ are usually repeated over time.

⚫︎学校で いじめ が問題になっています。 Translation: Bullying is becoming a problem at school. ⚫︎彼は いじめ のせいで学校に行きたくないと言いました。 Translation: He said he doesn't want to go to school because of bullying. ⚫︎インターネットでの いじめ も深刻な問題です。 Translation: Cyberbullying is also a serious issue.

⚫︎ Use いじめいじめ when discussing or reporting incidents of bullying. ⚫︎ It's used in news reports, personal conversations, legal contexts, and educational settings. ⚫︎ You can use it to describe the act of bullying or to refer to the bullying itself as a problem. ⚫︎ It is a common word, understood across different generations and social groups in Japan.

⚫︎ The word いじめいじめ is primarily written in hiragana. ⚫︎ While the Kanji 虐め (いじめ) exists, it is less common. ⚫︎ There are no variations in okurigana.

⚫︎虐待 (ぎゃくたい) - Abuse (more general, including child abuse and elder abuse) ⚫︎嫌がらせ (いやがらせ) - Harassment ⚫︎迫害 (はくがい) - Persecution ⚫︎仲間はずれ (なかまはずれ) - Exclusion, ostracism

⚫︎ 助け合い (たすけあい) - Helping each other, mutual support ⚫︎ 友情 (ゆうじょう) - Friendship ⚫︎ 協力 (きょうりょく) - Cooperation ⚫︎ 親切 (しんせつ) - Kindness

彼は いじめ を受けたせいで、学校を転校しました。 ・Translation: He transferred schools because he was bullied. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the consequence of いじめ.

学校は いじめ 防止のための対策を強化しました。 ・Translation: The school strengthened its measures to prevent bullying. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the actions taken to address the issue of いじめ.

The word いじめいじめ comes from the verb 苛める(いじめる), which means "to bully," "to torment," or "to pick on." It is the noun form of the verb.