Can’t read kana yet? Show the Japanese in romaji too.
The lights go out in the haunted house. Or the band plays the first note of your favourite song. Both send a shiver up your back. That is ぞくぞく.
What it means
ぞくぞく is a shiver that runs over your skin. It can be fear, or a thrill so strong that your arms get goosebumps.
How to use it
Use it with します: ぞくぞく します, ぞくぞく しました. The words around it show the kind: こわくて (scary), or a great song or moment.
Fuji
きのう、こわい えいがを みました。
I saw a scary movie yesterday.
Yuki
どうでしたか。
How was it?
Fuji
ぞくぞく しました！ おもしろかったです。
It gave me chills! It was great.
Close cousins
- わくわくhappy excitement about something coming
- どきどきyour heart racing, from nerves or excitement
- ぶるぶるshaking all over, from cold or fear
- ひやっとa sudden cold jolt, like a near miss
In manga and anime
A villain smiles, and ゾクッ appears beside the hero. Fans watching a great fight scene write ゾクゾクした！, “that gave me chills!”
Can you use it?
Yes, anywhere. It is an everyday word: for scary films and great moments.