Japanese

かく
Meaning: to scratch; to paddle; to snore; to sweat
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 掻く 掻かない
Polite 掻きます 掻きません
Past 掻いた 掻かなかった
Polite + Past 掻きました 掻きませんでした
Te-form 掻いて 掻かなくて
Potential 掻ける 掻けない
Passive 掻かれる 掻かれない
Causative 掻かせる 掻かせない
Causative + Passive 掻かされる 掻かされない
Imperative 掻け 掻くな

Handwriting

掻
く

Example sentences

I was so itchy that I accidentally scratched my head.
白髪混じりの頭を掻きながら、彼は昔を思い出した。
While scratching his head mingled with white hair, he remembered the old days.
背中が痒いので、掻いてください。
My back is itchy, so please scratch it.
床に胡坐をかいて座った。
I sat cross-legged on the floor.

Usage Notes

Primarily means to scratch an itch with fingers/nails. Also used in phrases like '汗をかく' (to sweat) or 'いびきをかく' (to snore).

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.