Meaning

Primary

To Rub

Alternative

To Scrub

Word Type

transitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

Because the hiragana ends with an  sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means rub and this verb means to rub or to scrub.

Reading

する
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)
こする
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

If you're going to rub me like that, I'm going to sue () you. It's making me very uncomfortable. The cost (こす) of your rubbing actions will be high.

So this word has two readings and both mean “to rub.” But you usually use する for a single action, such as lighting a match or grazing your knee, while こする means doing it repeatedly, like when you’re cleaning or polishing something.

Context

Context Sentences

花粉症で目を擦ってたら、片方のコンタクトレンズが破けました。

I was rubbing my eyes because of my allergies and one of my contact lenses was torn.

Kanji Composition