搔きます（かきます、kakimasu）
- to scratch

The Japanese verb 搔きます, read as かきます (kakimasu), primarily means "to scratch." It refers to the act of using your fingernails or another part of your body to rub against your skin to relieve an itch or irritation. It can also imply the act of scratching something else, like a surface. It describes a physical action. The action of 搔きます can be done on yourself or on something else. The focus is on the action of using a part of the body to scrape or rub.

⚫︎ 蚊に刺されたところを搔きます。 Translation: I scratch the place where the mosquito bit me. ⚫︎ 犬は気持ちよさそうに体を搔いています。 Translation: The dog is scratching its body with pleasure. ⚫︎ テーブルのペンキを搔きます。 Translation: I scratch the paint off the table.

This verb is used in everyday conversation to describe the act of scratching. You'd use it when talking about feeling an itch, or seeing someone or something scratching. It can be used in various contexts, from describing a physical sensation to an action performed on an object. Its use is straightforward and readily understood. Be aware that excessive 搔きます (scratching) can be seen as impolite in certain social settings.

搔きます is typically written with the kanji 搔 (meaning "to scratch") and the hiragana きます. The base form is 掻く (kaku). The polite form, 搔きます, is the present tense, affirmative form. The okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) after 掻 is always きます, き for the stem and ます for politeness.

There aren't many direct synonyms, as 搔きます describes a very specific action. Depending on the context, you might use phrases like: ⚫︎ ひっかく (hikkaku): This verb also means "to scratch," but it often implies scratching with more force or aggression, particularly with claws.

There are no direct antonyms for 搔きます in terms of a single word. The opposite of scratching would be not scratching, or perhaps to simply leave something alone.

背中が痒いので、掻きたいです。 ・Translation: My back itches, so I want to scratch it. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses the desire to scratch due to an itchy feeling.

猫が柱を掻いてしまいました。 ・Translation: The cat scratched the pillar. ・Explanation: This describes the cat's action of scratching the pillar, likely to sharpen its claws or mark its territory.

The etymology of 掻く is not definitively known, but it is believed to be derived from the Old Japanese word かく, which also meant "to scratch" or "to scrape." The kanji 掻 itself is a combination of other kanji that graphically suggest the action of scratching.