Meaning

Primary

To Shake

Alternatives

To Shiver, To Quake, To Tremble, To Quaver, To Quiver

Word Type

intransitive verb, ichidan verb

Explanation

This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means earthquake so the verb means to shiver and to shake, like you would if there was an earthquake happening right now.

Reading

ふるえる
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:

You start to shake in an earthquake because you're really full (ふる) from eating lunch. Now your full belly is shaking and quaking with the ground! Ahh it's awful! You never want to be full again!

Context

Context Sentences

アル中の父の手は、いつも震えていた。

My alcoholic father’s hands always shake.

すごく価値のある絵をフリーマーケットで見つけた時、全身が震えました。

When I found a painting of great value at a flea market, I trembled.

寒さで震えている子犬を見ると、涙が止まらなくなりました。

I couldn't stop crying when I saw a puppy shivering from the cold.

Kanji Composition