Japanese

かぶりをふる
Meaning: to shake one's head (in denial or refusal)
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 頭を振る 頭を振らない
Polite 頭を振ります 頭を振りません
Past 頭を振った 頭を振らなかった
Polite + Past 頭を振りました 頭を振りませんでした
Te-form 頭を振って 頭を振らなくて
Potential 頭を振れる 頭を振れない
Passive 頭を振られる 頭を振られない
Causative 頭を振らせる 頭を振らせない
Causative + Passive 頭を振らされる 頭を振らされない
Imperative 頭を振れ 頭を振るな

Handwriting

頭
を
振
る

Example

He quietly shook his head at the proposal.

Usage Notes

Specifically refers to shaking the head horizontally to express disagreement, refusal, or disbelief. 'Kaburi' is an old word for head.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.