動詞 IX

勝かって驕おごることなく練習れんしゅうを続つづけた。

He won but kept training without growing complacent.

Usage 勝って驕る, letting victory go to your head. The proverb 驕る平家は久しからず says the proud do not last. Do not confuse 奢る, to treat someone to a meal.

Remember it 驕 with the horse radical 馬 → riding high and looking down from the saddle.

神経しんけいが高たかぶって眠ねむれない。

My nerves are on edge and I cannot sleep.

Usage 神経が高ぶる, 気持ちが高ぶる, being worked up; and 高ぶった態度, a haughty manner. The first sense is also written 昂ぶる.

Remember it 高 (high) + ぶる (act) → running high, in the nerves or in the manner.

判定はんていに選手せんしゅがいきり立たった。

The players bristled at the decision.

Usage 〜にいきり立つ — flaring up, with the image of heat rising off you. Strongly colloquial. Only 立 is written in kanji.

Remember it いきる (steam up) + 立つ (rise) → the steam coming off you.

少すこし成功せいこうしたくらいで思おもい上あがるな。

Do not get above yourself over a little success.

Usage Thinking too much of yourself. Most often as the negative command 思い上がるな. The noun is 思い上がり. Close to 自惚れる.

Remember it 思う (think) + 上がる (up) → thinking of yourself as standing higher than you do.

一人ひとりで思おもい詰つめないで相談そうだんしてほしい。

I wish you would talk to someone rather than brooding alone.

Usage 〜を思い詰める — driving a thought round until there seems no way out. It carries a warning of something drastic, hence the frequent 思い詰めないで.

Remember it 思う (think) + 詰める (corner) → thinking yourself into a corner.

気取きどった話はなし方かたが鼻はなにつく。

His affected way of speaking grates.

Usage Putting on airs. 気取った before a noun is the form you will meet most. 〜を気取る means posing as someone. Read きどる.

Remember it 気 (air, manner) + 取る (take on) → taking on an air that is not yours.

式しきのために着飾きかざって出でかけた。

I dressed up and went out for the ceremony.

Usage Dressing up more elaborately than usual. 着飾らない人 describes someone plain and unaffected in dress.

Remember it 着る (wear) + 飾る (adorn) → wearing it for the decoration as much as the cloth.

気負きおわずに普段ふだんどおりやればいい。

Just do it as you normally would, without straining.

Usage Trying too hard out of eagerness to do well. Usually negated: 気負わずに, relax and take it as it comes. The noun is 気負い.

Remember it 気 (spirit) + 負う (carry) → carrying more spirit than the job needs.

会場かいじょうには張はり詰つめた空気くうきが漂ただよっていた。

A tense atmosphere hung over the hall.

Usage 張り詰めた空気, 張り詰めた緊張 — tension stretched to its limit. Usually met as 張り詰めた before a noun. 気が張り詰める is being keyed up.

Remember it 張る (stretch) + 詰める (to the limit) → pulled tight with no slack left.

ここが正念場しょうねんばだ、もう少すこし踏ふん張ばろう。

This is the decisive moment — let us hold on a little longer.

Usage Standing firm and refusing to give up. Literally planting your feet wide. Colloquial and encouraging. The noun is 踏ん張り.

Remember it 踏む (plant the foot) + 張る (brace) → feet planted wide and braced.

机つくえにかじりついて勉強べんきょうした。

I studied glued to my desk.

Usage Biting into something; and 机にかじりつく, 仕事にかじりつく — staying glued to it. かじりつくように見る is watching without blinking.

Remember it かじる (gnaw) + つく (cling) → teeth in it and not letting go.

藁わらにも縋すがる思おもいで相談そうだんした。

I consulted them in the spirit of clutching at a straw.

Usage 〜に縋る — clinging to someone or something for help. The idiom 藁にも縋る is clutching at straws. 泣き縋る is clinging to someone in tears.

Remember it 縋 on the thread radical 糸 → holding on by whatever thread is left.

相手あいてを見縊みくびると痛いたい目めに遭あう。

Underrate your opponent and you will pay for it.

Usage 〜を見縊る — writing someone off as less than they are. Read みくびる. Close to 侮る but more colloquial. Usually written みくびる.

Remember it 見る (look) + 縊る (throttle down) → sizing someone down to nothing at a glance.

上司じょうしを差さし置おいて勝手かってに決きめた。

He decided on his own, going over his manager's head.

Usage 〜を差し置いて — the most common form — means bypassing the person who should have been consulted, and implies disrespect. Also それは差し置いて, setting a matter aside.

Remember it 差す + 置く (set down) → set to one side and passed over.

結論けつろんは次回じかいに持もち越こされた。

A conclusion was carried over to the next meeting.

Usage 〜に持ち越す — deferring to a later occasion. The noun is 持ち越し. Often passive: 持ち越される.

Remember it 持つ (carry) + 越す (over) → carried over into the next round.

残のこった有給ゆうきゅうは翌年よくねんに繰くり越こせる。

Unused annual leave can be carried over to the following year.

Usage 〜に繰り越す — carrying a balance, leave or money forward. Accounting and HR vocabulary; the noun 繰越金 is a balance brought forward. Broader and more everyday: 持ち越す.

Remember it 繰る (reel along) + 越す (over) → reeled forward into the next period.

出発しゅっぱつを一いち時間じかん繰くり上あげた。

We brought the departure forward by an hour.

Usage 〜を繰り上げる, moving a date earlier; the opposite is 繰り下げる. 繰り上げ当選 is election by succession. Do not confuse 引き上げる, raising a level.

Remember it 繰る (reel along) + 上げる (up the line) → everything reeled one place forward.

各種かくしゅのサイズを取とり揃そろえております。

We carry a full range of sizes.

Usage 〜を取り揃える — having a complete selection ready. Retail language, usually in the polite 取り揃えております. From 揃える, to make even.

Remember it 取る + 揃える (line up evenly) → gathered in and laid out in a full set.

在庫ざいこがないので取とり寄よせてもらった。

They had none in stock, so they ordered it in for me.

Usage 〜を取り寄せる — having something sent from elsewhere. お取り寄せグルメ, regional delicacies ordered by post, is a very common phrase.

Remember it 取る (obtain) + 寄せる (bring near) → sent for and brought to you.

転売てんばい目的もくてきで買かい占しめる行為こういが問題もんだいだ。

Buying up stock for resale is the problem.

Usage 〜を買い占める — buying the lot to corner supply or to resell. The noun is 買い占め. Negative in tone.

Remember it 買う (buy) + 占める (take up entirely) → buying until there is none left for anyone else.

自分じぶんの企画きかくを役員やくいんに売うり込こんだ。

I pitched my proposal to the directors.

Usage 〜に売り込む — pitching a product, or yourself. 自分を売り込む is self-promotion. The noun is 売り込み.

Remember it 売る (sell) + 込む (push in) → pushing the sale in through the door.

山車だしが町まちを練ねり歩あるいた。

The float paraded through the town.

Usage 〜を練り歩く — processing slowly and for display, at a festival or a demonstration. The を marks the route. Read ねりあるく.

Remember it 練る (move in slow procession) + 歩く (walk) → walking at parade pace for everyone to see.

他人たにんに成なり済すまして口座こうざを開ひらいた。

He opened an account posing as someone else.

Usage 〜に成り済ます — impersonating. The noun なりすまし gives なりすまし詐欺, impersonation fraud. Usually written なりすます.

Remember it 成る (become) + 済ます (pass it off) → becoming them well enough to pass.

問とい詰つめられても押おし黙だまったままだった。

Pressed for an answer, he stayed stubbornly silent.

Usage Clamping your mouth shut on purpose. The 押し intensifies. Stronger than 黙り込む because the silence is willed.

Remember it 押す (press) + 黙る (be silent) → the lips pressed shut and held.

風邪かぜをこじらせて三みっ日か寝込ねこんだ。

My cold got worse and I was laid up for three days.

Usage 〜で寝込む — being ill in bed, quite unlike ordinary 寝る. Also deep sleep: 寝込みを襲う, attacking someone while they sleep.

Remember it 寝る (lie down) + 込む (sink into) → sunk into the bed and not getting up.

冷つめたい風かぜにあたってせき込こんだ。

The cold wind set me coughing hard.

Usage Two words that sound alike: 咳き込む, coughing in fits, and 急き込む, speaking or acting in a rush. Context and kanji tell them apart.

Remember it せく (cough, or hurry) + 込む (intensely) → it comes out in a rush you cannot stop.

大おお勢ぜいの前まえで気後きおくれしてしまった。

I lost my nerve in front of such a crowd.

Usage 〜に気後れする — feeling intimidated by a situation or a person. The noun is 気後れ. Close to ひるむ, but more inward diffidence than flinching.

Remember it 気 (spirit) + 後れる (fall behind) → the nerve lagging behind the moment.

収入しゅうにゅうに見合みあった生活せいかつをしている。

I live within my income.

Usage 〜に見合う — being proportionate to. Usually as 見合った before a noun. Do not confuse 見合わせる, which means to suspend, or to look at one another.

Remember it 見る (look) + 合う (match) → the two looked at side by side and level.

本物ほんものと見紛みまがうほどの出来できだ。

It is made well enough to be taken for the real thing.

Usage 〜と見紛う — mistaking one thing for another. Usually as 〜と見紛うほど, to the point of being mistaken for it. Written register. Read みまがう.

Remember it 見る (see) + 紛う (be confused with) → seeing it and taking it for the other.

駅前えきまえを行ゆき交かう人ひとを眺ながめていた。

I watched the people passing to and fro outside the station.

Usage 〜が行き交う — coming and going. Often as 行き交う人々. Read ゆきかう, also いきかう. Written and visual.

Remember it 行く (go) + 交う (cross) → streams of people crossing each other.

情報じょうほうが全ぜん社員しゃいんに行いき渡わたった。

The information reached every member of staff.

Usage 〜に行き渡る — reaching every corner, everyone getting their share. The subject is something distributed or communicated.

Remember it 行く (go) + 渡る (across the whole) → going right across until none is missed.

出汁だしの味あじが体からだに染しみ渡わたる。

The taste of the broth spreads right through you.

Usage 〜に染み渡る — soaking through completely. Used both literally, of flavour and liquid, and figuratively: 心に染み渡る.

Remember it 染みる (soak in) + 渡る (all the way across) → soaking through to every part.

鐘かねの音おとが谷たに中じゅうに響ひびき渡わたった。

The sound of the bell rang out across the valley.

Usage 〜に響き渡る — resounding far and wide. The subject is a sound. Same 〜渡る family as 行き渡る, 晴れ渡る, 知れ渡る.

Remember it 響く (resound) + 渡る (across) → the sound carrying right across.

澄すみ渡わたった秋あきの空そらが広ひろがっていた。

A perfectly clear autumn sky stretched overhead.

Usage 空が澄み渡る, 空気が澄み渡る. Usually as 澄み渡った before a noun. Written and visual.

Remember it 澄む (be clear) + 渡る (throughout) → clear from one horizon to the other.

台風たいふう一過いっか、空そらは晴はれ渡わたっていた。

After the typhoon passed, the sky was completely clear.

Usage 空が晴れ渡る — not a cloud anywhere, stronger than 晴れる because 渡る adds 'all over'. 台風一過 is the set phrase for the calm after a typhoon.

Remember it 晴れる (clear up) + 渡る (all over) → cleared right across the sky.

その噂うわさはすでに町中まちじゅうに知しれ渡わたっていた。

The rumour had already gone round the whole town.

Usage 〜に知れ渡る — becoming common knowledge. The subject is news or a reputation. 名が知れ渡る is becoming widely known.

Remember it 知れる (become known) + 渡る (all over) → known from one end of it to the other.

話題わだいには事こと欠かかない人ひとだ。

He is a man who is never short of something to talk about.

Usage 〜に事欠く — to lack. Usually negated: 事欠かない, having no shortage. Also 言うに事欠いて, meaning 'of all the things to say'.

Remember it 事 (matter) + 欠く (lack) → coming up short of the thing you need.

手品てじなの種たねを明あかしてくれた。

He let me in on how the trick was done.

Usage Two senses: 秘密を明かす, 種を明かす, revealing what was hidden; and 夜を明かす, staying up all night. The object tells you which.

Remember it 明 (make light) → bringing what was dark into the light, or seeing the night through to it.

まだ老おいぼれてなどいられない。

I cannot afford to be past it yet.

Usage Growing decrepit. Self-deprecating or insulting. The noun 老いぼれ is a doddering old fool. Coarser than the neutral 老いる.

Remember it 老いる (age) + ぼれる (go to pieces) → age and the falling apart that comes with it.

冷蔵れいぞう庫この野菜やさいが萎しなびていた。

The vegetables in the fridge had gone limp.

Usage 野菜が萎びる, 肌が萎びる — shrivelling from loss of moisture. Read しなびる. Distinguish 萎む (deflate) and 萎える (lose heart).

Remember it 萎 (wither) under the grass radical → the water gone out of it.

指先ゆびさきが風呂ふろでふやけてしまった。

My fingertips went soft in the bath.

Usage Swelling and softening from soaking; and figuratively 頭がふやける, a brain gone soft with idleness. Colloquial.

Remember it ふやける → left in water until it loses its firmness.

都合つごうのいい理由りゆうをこじつけているだけだ。

He is only contriving a reason that suits him.

Usage 〜をこじつける — forcing a connection to fit what you want. The noun こじつけ means a specious argument. Always critical.

Remember it こじる (prise) + つける (attach) → prised into place where it does not fit.

細こまかい欠点けってんばかりあげつらう。

He does nothing but pick at petty faults.

Usage 〜をあげつらう — carping at small flaws. Disapproving. Also written 論う. Different from 批判する, which argues a case.

Remember it あげる (hold up) + つらう → holding each little fault up for inspection.

不運ふうんをかこつばかりでは何なにも変かわらない。

Nothing will change if you only bemoan your bad luck.

Usage 〜をかこつ — lamenting your lot. Written and slightly archaic. Also written 託つ. Do not confuse 託ける (かこつける), to use as a pretext.

Remember it かこつ → saying over and over how hard it has been.

一瞬いっしゅんもたゆむことなく努力どりょくを続つづけた。

He kept up his efforts without slackening for a moment.

Usage Almost always negated: たゆまぬ努力, unflagging effort — a frequent exam phrase. Also written 弛む.

Remember it たゆむ → the rope going slack when nobody is pulling.

雪ゆきの重おもみで枝えだがたわんでいる。

The branches are bending under the weight of the snow.

Usage 〜がたわむ — bending under a load without breaking. Also written 撓む. Distinguish たゆむ, which is slackening of the spirit.

Remember it たわむ → the branch curving down but holding.

合格ごうかくの知しらせに母ははは顔かおをほころばせた。

At the news that he had passed, my mother's face broke into a smile.

Usage 顔をほころばせる, 頬をほころばせる — a face relaxing into a smile. From stitching coming undone and buds opening. Intransitive: ほころぶ.

Remember it ほころぶ (come unstitched, bud) → the seam of the face giving way into a smile.

茹ゆでた野菜やさいを胡麻ごまで和あえた。

I dressed the boiled vegetables with sesame.

Usage 〜で和える — tossing food with a dressing or seasoning. Cooking vocabulary; the noun 和え物 is a dressed dish. Read あえる.

Remember it 和 (blend, harmony) → the ingredients brought into agreement.

傷口きずぐちから血ちが染しみ出でてきた。

Blood began to seep out of the wound.

Usage 〜から染み出る — oozing out from inside. The subject is a liquid. Same family: 染み込む, soaking in, and 染み渡る, soaking through.

Remember it 染みる (seep) + 出る (out) → seeping its way out to the surface.

雨水あまみずが地面じめんに滲しみ込こんでいく。

The rainwater soaks into the ground.

Usage 〜に滲み込む — soaking deep in. Figuratively 教えが心に染み込む, a teaching sinking into you. Also written 染み込む.

Remember it 滲みる (seep) + 込む (in) → seeping in until it is part of the thing.

二ふたつの音色ねいろが美うつくしく溶とけ合あっている。

The two timbres blend together beautifully.

Usage 〜と溶け合う — merging so the boundary disappears. The subjects are usually abstract: sounds, colours, cultures.

Remember it 溶ける (dissolve) + 合う (together) → each dissolving into the other.

酸すいも甘あまいも噛かみ分わけた人ひとだ。

He is a man who has known the sweet and the sour of life.

Usage 酸いも甘いも噛み分ける — having tasted everything life offers. This is effectively the verb's only use, so learn the whole phrase.

Remember it 噛む (chew) + 分ける (tell apart) → chewing until you can tell one taste from another.

足音あしおとだけで誰だれか聞きき分わけられる。

I can tell who it is from the footsteps alone.

Usage 音を聞き分ける, distinguishing by ear; and 聞き分けのいい子, a child who does as it is told. The second usually appears as the noun 聞き分け.

Remember it 聞く (hear) + 分ける (tell apart) → the ear sorting one from the other.

この石いしを山やまに見立みたてて庭にわを造つくる。

We build the garden treating this stone as a mountain.

Usage AをBに見立てる — likening one thing to another, which is the heart of Japanese garden aesthetics. Also 医者が見立てる, a doctor's diagnosis. The noun is 見立て.

Remember it 見る (see) + 立てる (set up as) → seeing it and setting it up as the other thing.

犬いぬはにおいで持もち主ぬしを嗅かぎ分わける。

A dog can pick out its owner by smell.

Usage 〜を嗅ぎ分ける — telling apart by scent. Figuratively 本物を嗅ぎ分ける, sniffing out the genuine article. Same 〜分ける family of distinguishing verbs.

Remember it 嗅ぐ (smell) + 分ける (tell apart) → the nose sorting one from the other.

相手あいてによって敬語けいごを使つかい分わける。

You adjust your honorifics according to who you are speaking to.

Usage 〜を使い分ける — choosing between options according to circumstance. The noun is 使い分け. Heavily tested, because this is exactly the N1 skill.

Remember it 使う (use) + 分ける (according to) → a different one for each occasion.

両社りょうしゃは市場しじょうを住すみ分わけている。

The two companies occupy separate parts of the market.

Usage 〜を住み分ける — dividing territory so as not to overlap. Originally ecology, now common in business. The noun is 住み分け.

Remember it 住む (live) + 分ける (divide) → each living in its own patch.

迷まよいを振ふり払はらって前まえに進すすんだ。

Shaking off my hesitation, I went forward.

Usage Shaking off a hand that holds you; and 不安を振り払う, 迷いを振り払う, driving off an unwanted feeling. The second is the tested sense.

Remember it 振る (shake) + 払う (sweep away) → shaken loose and swept off.

彼かれを窮地きゅうちに追おい遣やる結果けっかとなった。

It ended in driving him into a corner.

Usage 〜に追い遣る — pushing someone into a bad situation. Usually written 追いやる. 死に追いやる, driving someone to their death, is the phrase you will meet.

Remember it 追う (chase) + 遣る (send off) → chased away into somewhere worse.

古ふるい塀へいを取とり払はらって見通みとおしがよくなった。

We took the old wall down and the view opened up.

Usage 〜を取り払う — removing something completely. The object may be concrete or abstract: 垣根を取り払う, doing away with barriers.

Remember it 取る (take) + 払う (clear away) → taken down and cleared off.

不信ふしん感かんを拭ぬぐい去さるのは容易よういではない。

Distrust is not easily wiped away.

Usage 〜を拭い去る — erasing without a trace. The object is usually abstract: 不安, 不信感. Stronger than 拭う because 去る adds 'and gone'.

Remember it 拭う (wipe) + 去る (make gone) → wiped until no mark is left.

該当がいとう箇所かしょを黒くろく塗ぬり潰つぶした。

The relevant passages were blacked out.

Usage 〜を塗り潰す — painting over so nothing shows. Figuratively 記憶を塗り潰す, blotting out a memory. Read ぬりつぶす.

Remember it 塗る (paint) + 潰す (obliterate) → painted over until there is nothing underneath to see.