Meaning and Usage
The verb 剃る (そる) primarily means "to shave" or "to cut hair very close to the skin." It is commonly used for shaving facial hair, head hair, or body hair.
Common Contexts
You will often hear 剃る in daily grooming contexts, such as shaving a beard or shaving the head. It is also used in sports contexts where athletes shave body hair for performance or aesthetic reasons.
Collocations and Patterns
- ひげを剃る: to shave one's beard
- 頭を剃る: to shave one's head
- 脚を剃る: to shave one's legs
These collocations are very common and useful for everyday conversation.
Register and Politeness
剃る is a neutral verb and can be used in both casual and polite speech. When speaking politely, it is often combined with ます-form (剃ります).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 剃る with 刈る (かる), which means "to cut" or "to mow" but is not used for shaving hair close to the skin. Remember 剃る specifically refers to shaving or closely cutting hair.