Nekubi wo Kaku (寝首をかく - Catching Someone off Guard)

Nekubi wo Kaku

Getting caught off guard with a dirty trick is called 'nekubi wo kaku' (寝首をかく) in Japanese.

'Ne' (寝) means "sleep," 'kubi' (首) means "neck," and 'kaku' (かく) means "to scratch" or "to cut," so the literal meaning of 'nekubi wo kaku' is "to cut someone's neck in his/her sleep."

This phrase can literally mean to attach a sleeping person and cut off his/her head.

Since attacking a sleeping person is despicable, catching someone off guard by despicable means has come to be referred to as 'nekubi wo kaku'.

寝首を掻く

油断している人を卑劣な手段で陥れることを、「寝首をかく」といいます。

「寝」は "sleep"、「首」は "neck"、「かく」は "to scratch/to cut off" を意味するので、「寝首の掻く」の文字どおりの意味は "to cut someone's neck off in his sleep" となります。

この言葉は文字どおり、眠っている人を襲って首を切り取るとるという意味も持ちます。

眠っている人を襲うのは卑劣であることから、そのような行為全般を「寝首を掻く」というようになったというわけです。

• Nekubi wo Kaku
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• Getting caught off guard with a dirty trick is called 'nekubi wo kaku' (寝首をかく) in Japanese.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• 'Ne' (寝) means "sleep," 'kubi' (首) means "neck," and 'kaku' (かく) means "to scratch" or "to cut," so the literal meaning of 'nekubi wo kaku' is "to cut someone's neck in his/her sleep."
• 'Ne' (寝) means "to sleep," 'kubi' (首) means "neck," and 'kaku' (かく) means "to scratch" or "to cut," so the literal meaning of 'nekubi wo kaku' is "to cut someone's neck in his/her sleep."

• This phrase can literally mean to attach a sleeping person and cut off his/her head.
• This phrase can literally mean to attack a sleeping person and cut off his/her head.

• Since attacking a sleeping person is despicable, catching someone off guard by despicable means has come to be referred to as 'nekubi wo kaku'.
• Since attacking a person in their sleep is despicable, catching someone off guard by despicable means has come to be referred to as 'nekubi wo kaku'.