しゃべる

Japanese

Etymology

Unknown.

Possible analyses include:

• Related to しゃぶしゃぶ (shabushabu), itself apparently an onomatopoeia.
• Derived as intensifying prefix しゃ (sha) attaching to a root form related to べりべり (beriberi, “talkatively; a talkative person”), べらべら (berabera, “bubblingly; talkatively”), べろ (bero, “tongue”).

Listed in the Nippo Jisho of 1603. Earliest appearance may be in the early 1300s during the Kamakura period.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しゃべ​る (Nakadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Verb

しゃべる • (shaberu) godan (stem しゃべり (shaberi), past しゃべった (shabetta))

1. to talk, to speak, to chat, to chatter

   私(わたし)は日(に)本(ほん)語(ご)を喋(しゃべ)ることができる。

   Watashi wa Nihongo o shaberu koto ga dekiru.

   I can speak Japanese.

   彼(かれ)は２(に)時(じ)間(かん)立(た)て続(つづ)けに喋(しゃべ)った。

   Kare wa ni jikan tate tsuzuke ni shabetta.

   He rattled on for two hours on end.

2. to let secrets out

   このことはめったに喋(しゃべ)ってもらっては困(こま)るよ。

   Kono koto wa metta ni shabette moratte wa komaru yo.

   Be sure to keep your mouth shut about this.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• (speak, talk): 話(はな)す (hanasu)

Derived terms

• お喋(しゃべ)り (o-shaberi)

References