Pronunciation
Definition
告る (こくる, kokuru) is an abbreviation of “告白する (こくはく する, kokuhaku suru)”, meaning “confess your feeling to your crush”. The abbreviation sounds more casual and is often used among teenagers. For instance, “来月の修学旅行でゆみに告るわ!” means “I will confess my feelings for Yumi on the school trip next month!”.
General Definition of 告白する
告白する generally means “confess (something)”, and it is not limited to confessing one’s feelings. For instance, “真実を告白する” and “秘密を告白する” mean “confess the truth” and “confess the secret”, respectively. However, when used as “~に告白する” meaning “confess to ~”, it usually means to confess your feeling to someone you like.
When people kokuru in Japan
Japanese people usually confess their feelings to their crush before they get into a relationship. Some surveys on the internet show that about 50 % of women in Japan want their potential partners to kokuru them on the 3rd date (as in, they think 1st/2nd date is a bit too early).
Example Sentences
Ex1
まいに告ったら、無事振られた
I confessed my feelings for Mai and “successfully” got rejected.
(Note) “無事 (ぶじ)” usually means “without any trouble”, but sometimes it is used as self-deprecating sarcasm.
Ex2
好きな人に告るのはかなり勇気がいる。
It requires a lot of courage to confess your feelings to someone you like.
See also
Synonyms: 告白する (confess), 気持ちを伝える (tell one’s feelings to someone)
Synonyms in English: confess to someone
Related words and phrases: 告白する
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