ぜ

• IPA^(key): [d͡ze̞]

The hiragana character せ (se) with a dakuten (゛).

ぜ • (ze) 

1. The hiragana syllable ぜ (ze). Its equivalent in katakana is ゼ (ze).

• (Hiragana) 平仮名; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こ𛄲 (𛄲)ご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, 𛀆, ゆゅ, 𛀁, よょ, らら゚, りり゚, るる゚, れれ゚, ろろ゚, わゎわ゙, ゐ𛅐 (𛅐)ゐ゙, 𛄟 (𛄟), ゑ𛅑 (𛅑)ゑ゙, を𛅒 (𛅒)を゙, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ

/zo e/ → /zoe/ → /zeː/ → /ze/

Shift via monophthongization of older ぞえ (zoe), in turn from sentence-ending emphatic particle ぞ (zo) and exclamatory or familiar particle え (e).[1][2][3]

First dated to 1771.[1] Usage became established in the Edo area, then spread to the Kansai region in the late 1700s.[1]

With the softening effect of particle え (e), the sense was originally somewhat less gruff than using just ぞ (zo). However, in modern usage, this is now generally considered more gruff than ぞ (zo), and usage is restricted to informal masculine speech, either between members of the same group and status, or by a social superior to an inferior.[1][2]

ぜ • (ze) 

1. [from 1771] (colloquial, men's speech) sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis, used to lightly press one's point, with familiar overtones

   困(こま)った奴(やつ)だぜ。

   Komatta yatsu da ze.

   What a troublesome guy.

2. [from 1771] (colloquial, men's speech) sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis, used to tell the listener about something in a patronising way

   そんなにケーキを食(た)べたら太(ふと)っちまうぜ。

   Sonna ni kēki o tabetara futotchimau ze.

   You'll get fat if you keep eating cake.

• Similar to ぞ (zo), ぜ is mostly used by males. However, unlike ぞ, ぜ is strictly informal register, and can be considered highly impolite if used outside of a casual setting.
• When used with polite-register forms like です (desu) and the ます (masu) verb ending, this may imply sarcasm, contempt, or threat.[1][2]

• (Kansai, Tohoku) で (de)
• (Internet slang) ず (zu)
• じぇ (je)

Reading of various kanji.