いじめる
いじめる
verb (ichidan)
to bully, to torment
1.
to bully, to pick on
To repeatedly mistreat or harass someone weaker. A serious social issue in Japanese schools and workplaces.
弱い者をいじめてはいけない。
You must not bully those who are weak.
を marks the victim
学校でいじめられている。
I'm being bullied at school.
Passive form いじめられる
動物をいじめないで。
Don't torment animals.
2.
to torment, to tease cruelly
To cause suffering through persistent unkind treatment.
猫をいじめるな。
Don't torment the cat.
小さい子をいじめて泣かせた。
They tormented a little child and made them cry.
毎日いじめられて、学校に行きたくなくなった。
Being tormented every day, I didn't want to go to school anymore.
Passive form showing ongoing torment
TRANSITIVITY: 他動詞 (transitive). Pattern: Xをいじめる (bully X). No intransitive pair.
ASPECT: ている indicates ongoing action. いじめている = 'is bullying.' いじめられている = 'is being bullied.'
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 子供をいじめる (bully a child)
- いじめられる (be bullied—passive)
- いじめっ子 (bully—noun, the one who bullies)
- いじめ問題 (bullying problem)
WRITING: Usually written in hiragana. Can be written as 苛める but hiragana is more common.
CULTURAL NOTE: いじめ (bullying) is a recognized social problem in Japan, particularly in schools. The noun form いじめ is often used in news and discussions about this issue.
REGISTER: Neutral, but the topic itself is serious.