かき鳴らす
かきならす
godan verb
to strum; to play loudly (a stringed instrument)
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | かき鳴らす | かき鳴らさない |
| Present polite | かき鳴らします | かき鳴らしません |
| Past | かき鳴らした | かき鳴らさなかった |
| Past polite | かき鳴らしました | かき鳴らしませんでした |
| て form | かき鳴らして | かき鳴らさなくて |
| ている present | かき鳴らしている | かき鳴らしていない |
| ている polite | かき鳴らしています | かき鳴らしていません |
| ている past | かき鳴らしていた | かき鳴らしていなかった |
| ている past polite | かき鳴らしていました | かき鳴らしていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | かき鳴らせば | かき鳴らさなければ |
| Conditional たら | かき鳴らしたら | かき鳴らさなかったら |
| Volitional | かき鳴らそう | — |
| Volitional polite | かき鳴らしましょう | — |
| Potential | かき鳴らせる | かき鳴らせない |
| Passive | かき鳴らされる | かき鳴らされない |
| Causative | かき鳴らさせる | かき鳴らさせない |
| Imperative | かき鳴らせ | かき鳴らすな |
1.
to strum; to play loudly; to bang out (on a stringed instrument)
To play a stringed instrument — especially a guitar, mandolin, or traditional Japanese instrument like the biwa — by sweeping or scraping the strings vigorously to produce bold, continuous sound. Suggests energetic, often rough or expressive playing rather than careful plucking.
ギターをかき鳴らす。
To strum a guitar.
彼はステージでギターを激しくかき鳴らした。
He strummed his guitar wildly on the stage.
夜、公園で誰かがギターをかき鳴らしているのが聞こえた。
At night, I could hear someone strumming a guitar in the park.
琵琶をかき鳴らしながら物語を語る盲目の法師の姿が描かれている。
The scene depicts a blind monk telling tales while strumming a biwa.
Compound of the prefix かき (from the verb 掻く, 'to scratch; to scrape,' functioning as an intensifier) and 鳴らす ('to make something sound'). The かき prefix adds a forceful, sweeping quality to the action. Though sometimes written 掻き鳴らす, the kana-only かき鳴らす form is far more common in modern usage.
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: 他動詞 (transitive) — takes a direct object marked with を.
- There is no paired intransitive verb; for the instrument itself sounding, use 鳴る.
ASPECT (ている):
- かき鳴らしている: is strumming (right now) — ongoing action in progress.
- Often appears in the て-form with subsidiary verbs: かき鳴らしながら ('while strumming'), かき鳴らしていた ('was strumming').
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ギターをかき鳴らす: to strum a guitar
- 琵琶をかき鳴らす: to play a biwa (traditional lute)
- 三味線をかき鳴らす: to strum a shamisen
- 弦をかき鳴らす: to strum the strings
- 激しくかき鳴らす: to strum wildly
- 思いのままにかき鳴らす: to strum as the mood takes one
USAGE:
- Strongly associated with stringed instruments played with a sweeping motion. Not used for plucking individual notes (弾く) or for wind or percussion instruments.
- Conveys energy, passion, or roughness — compared with the neutral 弾く ('to play,' for strings or piano), かき鳴らす emphasizes boldness or intensity.
- Common in literary, musical, and narrative contexts: rock performances, folk music, or descriptions of traditional Japanese music.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 弾く: to play (a stringed instrument or piano) — the neutral, general verb; does not imply vigor.
- 奏でる: to play (an instrument); to produce music — more literary and elegant; often used for producing beautiful melodies.
- 鳴らす: to sound; to make ring — the base verb; works for any object that produces sound (bells, horns), not just strings.
- 掻き立てる: to stir up; to rouse — a different かき compound, used figuratively for emotions, not music.
Related Words
Related:
鳴らす (to ring, to sound (base verb))