殴る

なぐる

to strike

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

The verb 殴る (なぐる) means "to strike" or "to hit" someone physically, usually with the hand or fist. It is often used in contexts involving fights, anger, or physical altercations.

Common Contexts

You will frequently see 殴る used when describing someone hitting another person out of anger or during a quarrel. It can be used in both casual and more serious contexts, but it generally implies physical violence.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 殴る (なぐる) + 相手 (あいて): to hit the opponent or other person
  • 殴り合い (なぐりあい): mutual hitting or fistfight
  • 殴ってしまう: to end up hitting (often unintentionally or regrettably)

Register and Nuance

殴る is a straightforward verb for hitting and is neutral in formality but implies physical violence, so it is not used lightly. It is more common in spoken language or narrative descriptions of fights.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 殴る with 転ぶ (to fall) or 打つ (to strike in a broader sense). 殴る specifically means to hit a person physically, usually with the hand or fist, so avoid using it for hitting objects or non-physical strikes.

Example Sentences

かれはおこってあいてをなぐった。

He got angry and struck the other person.

こどもがともだちをなぐってしまったので、あやまらせた。

The child ended up hitting a friend, so I made him apologize.

けんかでなぐりあいになることはさけたほうがいい。

It's better to avoid getting into a fistfight during an argument.