する動詞 III

結末けつまつを暗示あんじする場面ばめんだ。

It is a scene that hints at the ending.

Usage 〜を暗示する — hinting, implying. Transitive. Its counterpart is 明示, stating outright. It also means suggestion in the hypnotic sense: 自己暗示. Read あんじ.

Remember it 暗 (dark) + 示 (show) → showing it, but in the dark.

威嚇いかく射撃しゃげきが行おこなわれた。

Warning shots were fired.

Usage 〜を威嚇する — intimidating so the other side backs down. Transitive. 威嚇射撃 is a warning shot. Read いかく.

Remember it 威 (authority) + 嚇 (threaten) → the show of force meant to make you flinch.

代金だいきんを一括いっかつで支払しはらった。

I paid the amount in a single sum.

Usage 一括で払う, 一括処理 — paying at once, processing in a batch. Its counterpart is 分割, paying or dividing in instalments. Read いっかつ.

Remember it 一 (one) + 括 (bundle) → all of it tied into one bundle.

家業かぎょうを息子むすこに譲ゆずって隠居いんきょした。

He handed the family business to his son and retired.

Usage 隠居する — withdrawing from active life. Intransitive. Old-fashioned in flavour, unlike the neutral 引退. Read いんきょ.

Remember it 隠 (hide) + 居 (dwell) → living out of the world's sight.

自然しぜんの美うつくしさに詠嘆えいたんする。

Exclaiming at the beauty of nature.

Usage 〜に詠嘆する — exclaiming in admiration. It is also a term in classical grammar: 詠嘆の助詞, exclamatory particles such as 〜なあ. Read えいたん.

Remember it 詠 (recite, sing) + 嘆 (sigh) → the sigh that comes out as something like a song.

資料しりょうは自由じゆうに閲覧えつらんできる。

The materials may be consulted freely.

Usage 〜を閲覧する — looking at or consulting documents. Transitive. Library and administrative vocabulary. 閲覧室 is a reading room. Read えつらん.

Remember it 閲 (inspect) + 覧 (view) → looking it over for what it holds.

照明しょうめいで緊張きんちょう感かんを演出えんしゅつした。

They created a sense of tension with the lighting.

Usage Stage direction, 演出家; and the N1 sense of staging an effect or an atmosphere. The second is the tested one. Read えんしゅつ.

Remember it 演 (perform) + 出 (bring out) → bringing the effect out on purpose.

激はげしい議論ぎろんの応酬おうしゅうが続つづいた。

A fierce exchange of arguments went on.

Usage 応酬する, 〜の応酬 — an exchange, of words or of blows. It implies giving as good as you get. Read おうしゅう.

Remember it 応 (respond) + 酬 (return a toast) → answering cup for cup, or blow for blow.

河川かせんの汚濁おだくが進すすんでいる。

Pollution of the rivers is worsening.

Usage 水質汚濁, water pollution, is the commonest compound. It is also used figuratively of a corrupt society. Read おだく.

Remember it 汚 (dirty) + 濁 (turbid) → dirtied until you cannot see through it.

事件じけんの背景はいけいを解剖かいぼうした記事きじだ。

It is an article dissecting the background to the case.

Usage Dissection and post-mortem; and figuratively taking a problem apart. The second is common in journalism. Read かいぼう.

Remember it 解 (undo) + 剖 (cut open) → cut open to see how it is put together.

制度せいどの改廃かいはいが検討けんとうされている。

Revision or abolition of the system is under consideration.

Usage 制度の改廃 — amending or scrapping. 改 is to revise and 廃 to abolish, so one word covers both options. Administrative language. Read かいはい.

Remember it 改 (revise) + 廃 (abolish) → mend it or end it.

新規しんき顧客こきゃくの開拓かいたくに力ちからを入いれる。

We are putting effort into finding new customers.

Usage Clearing land; and the N1 sense 販路を開拓する, 顧客を開拓する — opening up a market. The second is the tested one. Read かいたく.

Remember it 開 (open) + 拓 (clear ground) → clearing new ground to work.

城しろがついに陥落かんらくした。

The castle finally fell.

Usage 城が陥落する, a fortress falling — INTRANSITIVE; and colloquially, giving in at last after holding out. Read かんらく.

Remember it 陥 (fall in) + 落 (drop) → the walls giving way and the place coming down.

利益りえきを社会しゃかいに還元かんげんする。

Returning the profits to society.

Usage 〜に還元する — giving back to where it came from. Note the に. It is also the chemical term for reduction. Read かんげん.

Remember it 還 (return) + 元 (the origin) → sent back to where it started.

仏門ぶつもんに帰依きえした。

He took refuge in the Buddhist faith.

Usage 〜に帰依する — devoting oneself to a faith. Note the に. Read きえ, not きい — the reading is a frequent exam item.

Remember it 帰 (return to) + 依 (rely on) → turning back to it and leaning on it.

検察けんさつは容疑ようぎ者しゃを起訴きそした。

The prosecution indicted the suspect.

Usage 〜を起訴する — to indict. Transitive, and the agent is always the prosecuting authority. 不起訴 is a decision not to charge. Read きそ.

Remember it 起 (raise) + 訴 (a suit) → raising the case against them.

面会めんかいを拒絶きょぜつされた。

I was refused a meeting.

Usage 〜を拒絶する — flat refusal. Transitive. Far stronger than 断る. 拒絶反応 is tissue rejection, used figuratively as well. Read きょぜつ.

Remember it 拒 (refuse) + 絶 (cut off) → refused, and the matter cut off.

人生じんせいの知恵ちえが凝縮ぎょうしゅくされた一いっ冊さつだ。

It is a book with a lifetime's wisdom distilled into it.

Usage 〜が凝縮される — being condensed. Usually passive. Literally the condensation of vapour. Read ぎょうしゅく.

Remember it 凝 (congeal) + 縮 (shrink) → boiled down until only the essence is left.

国内こくない屈指くっしの名門めいもん校こうだ。

It is one of the leading schools in the country.

Usage 〜屈指の — among the very few at the top. Like 有数, it follows the scope named. 屈指 is bending the fingers to count. Read くっし.

Remember it 屈 (bend) + 指 (finger) → few enough to count on bent fingers.

大雨おおあめに警戒けいかいが必要ひつようだ。

Vigilance is needed against heavy rain.

Usage 〜に警戒する, 警戒を強める — being on guard, tightening precautions. Note the に. 警戒心 is wariness. Read けいかい.

Remember it 警 (warn) + 戒 (guard) → warned, and standing guard because of it.

監督かんとくが選手せんしゅを激励げきれいした。

The coach encouraged the players.

Usage 〜を激励する — rallying someone's spirits. Transitive. 叱咤激励, scolding and encouraging at once, is a four-character compound. Read げきれい.

Remember it 激 (rouse) + 励 (urge on) → roused and driven on.

交渉こうしょうは決裂けつれつに終おわった。

The negotiations ended in breakdown.

Usage 〜が決裂する — talks breaking down. INTRANSITIVE. Its direct opposite is 妥結, and the two are often tested together. Read けつれつ.

Remember it 決 (break open) + 裂 (tear) → the thing torn apart rather than tied up.

倹約けんやくして学費がくひを貯ためた。

I economised and saved up the tuition.

Usage 倹約する, 倹約家 — thrift, a frugal person. Approving, unlike けち, which is mean. Close to 節約. Read けんやく.

Remember it 倹 (frugal) + 約 (restrain) → spending held within bounds.

新あたらしい仕組しくみを考案こうあんした。

He devised a new arrangement.

Usage 〜を考案する — thinking up, contriving. Transitive. Objects: 方法, 装置, 仕組み. 考案者 is the inventor. Read こうあん.

Remember it 考 (think) + 案 (a scheme) → the scheme thought out.

各地かくちの運動うんどうに呼応こおうして立たち上あがった。

They rose in concert with the movements elsewhere.

Usage 〜に呼応する — acting in concert, answering a call. Note the に. It is also a grammar term: 呼応の副詞, adverbs that require a matching ending. Read こおう.

Remember it 呼 (call) + 応 (answer) → one calls and the other answers.

話はなしが誇張こちょうされて伝つたわった。

The story reached us exaggerated.

Usage 〜を誇張する — overstating. Transitive, often passive. 誇張ではなく means 'this is no exaggeration'. Read こちょう.

Remember it 誇 (boast) + 張 (stretch) → stretched further than the truth will reach.

公私こうしを混同こんどうしてはならない。

Public and private matters must not be confused.

Usage AとBを混同する — mixing up two distinct things. 公私混同, confusing public duty with private interest, is the commonest phrase. Read こんどう.

Remember it 混 (mix) + 同 (same) → mixed until you treat two things as one.

裁定さいていが下くだされるのを待まっている。

We are waiting for the ruling to be handed down.

Usage 裁定を下す, 裁定が下る — issuing or receiving a ruling. The agent is a third party with authority to decide. Read さいてい.

Remember it 裁 (judge) + 定 (settle) → judged, and thereby settled.

催眠さいみん療法りょうほうを試ためした。

I tried hypnotherapy.

Usage 催眠術, 催眠療法 — hypnotism, hypnotherapy. It lives mostly in compounds. 催 is to induce and 眠 sleep. Read さいみん.

Remember it 催 (induce) + 眠 (sleep) → sleep brought on deliberately.

試行しこう錯誤さくごを繰くり返かえした。

We went through repeated trial and error.

Usage 試行錯誤 — trial and error — is the four-character compound you will meet most. 時代錯誤 means anachronistic. Read さくご.

Remember it 錯 (mixed up) + 誤 (mistaken) → getting it crossed and getting it wrong.

問とい合あわせが殺到さっとうした。

Enquiries flooded in.

Usage 〜が殺到する — pouring in in numbers. INTRANSITIVE, taking が. Subjects: 注文, 問い合わせ, 客. Read さっとう.

Remember it 殺 (with killing force) + 到 (arrive) → arriving all at once and overwhelming you.

詳くわしくは別表べっぴょうを参照さんしょうしてください。

For details please refer to the appended table.

Usage 〜を参照する — consulting, cross-referring. Transitive. The language of documents and books. Distinct from 参考, using something as reference material. Read さんしょう.

Remember it 参 (consult) + 照 (compare against) → holding it up against the other to check.

外出がいしゅつを自粛じしゅくするよう求もとめられた。

We were asked to refrain from going out.

Usage 〜を自粛する — restraining oneself voluntarily. The crucial point is that it is self-imposed, not prohibited. Read じしゅく.

Remember it 自 (self) + 粛 (restrain) → the restraint you put on yourself.

汚職おしょくが原因げんいんで失脚しっきゃくした。

Corruption brought about his downfall.

Usage 〜が失脚する — losing a position of power. INTRANSITIVE. 脚 is the leg: the footing goes from under you. Read しっきゃく.

Remember it 失 (lose) + 脚 (footing) → the footing lost and the fall that follows.

馬うまが草原そうげんを疾走しっそうする。

The horse gallops across the plain.

Usage 〜を疾走する — running at full speed. The を marks the ground covered. 疾 means swift as an illness coming on. Read しっそう.

Remember it 疾 (swift) + 走 (run) → running as fast as running goes.

感染かんせん拡大かくだいがようやく終息しゅうそくした。

The spread of infection has finally been brought to an end.

Usage 〜が終息する — coming to a complete end. INTRANSITIVE, taking が. Subjects: epidemics, hostilities, disputes. Read しゅうそく.

Remember it 終 (end) + 息 (cease, breathe out) → it ends and the breath goes out of it.

両国りょうこく関係かんけいの修復しゅうふくを図はかる。

Working to repair relations between the two countries.

Usage 〜を修復する — restoring or mending. Transitive. Used of buildings and of relationships. Distinct from 修理, repairing a broken object. Read しゅうふく.

Remember it 修 (mend) + 復 (restore) → mended back to what it was.

熟慮じゅくりょの末すえに辞任じにんを決きめた。

After careful deliberation he decided to resign.

Usage 熟慮の末に — after mature consideration. Formal. 熟 is ripe and 慮 is thought. 熟慮断行 means think it through, then act decisively. Read じゅくりょ.

Remember it 熟 (ripen) + 慮 (consider) → the thought left to ripen before acting.

条件じょうけんを受諾じゅだくする意向いこうを示しめした。

They indicated their intention to accept the terms.

Usage 〜を受諾する — accepting formal terms or a proposal. Transitive. Formal, diplomatic language. Opposite: 拒否. Read じゅだく.

Remember it 受 (receive) + 諾 (assent) → received, and assented to.

経緯けいいについては後のちほど詳述しょうじゅつする。

I shall give a detailed account of the circumstances later.

Usage 〜を詳述する — setting out in detail. Transitive. Academic written style. Opposites: 略述, 概説. Read しょうじゅつ.

Remember it 詳 (detailed) + 述 (state) → stated with the detail left in.

不要ふような記録きろくを消去しょうきょした。

I erased the unnecessary records.

Usage 〜を消去する — erasing completely. Transitive. 消去法, the process of elimination, is a very common phrase. Read しょうきょ.

Remember it 消 (extinguish) + 去 (remove) → wiped out and taken away.

先方せんぽうの承諾しょうだくを得えた。

We obtained the other party's consent.

Usage 承諾を得る, 〜を承諾する — obtaining or granting consent. Unlike 受諾, accepting formal terms, 承諾 is giving permission. Read しょうだく.

Remember it 承 (receive, accede) + 諾 (assent) → hearing the request and saying yes.

双方そうほうが譲歩じょうほして合意ごういした。

Both sides made concessions and reached agreement.

Usage 〜に譲歩する — conceding. 譲歩を引き出す is to extract a concession. 譲 is to yield and 歩 a step. Read じょうほ.

Remember it 譲 (yield) + 歩 (step) → yielding a step of the ground you held.

著作ちょさく権けんの侵害しんがいにあたる。

It constitutes an infringement of copyright.

Usage 〜を侵害する, 〜の侵害 — infringing a right. The object is always a right: 人権, 著作権, プライバシー. Read しんがい.

Remember it 侵 (encroach) + 害 (harm) → crossing the line and doing harm by it.

書類しょるい審査しんさを通過つうかした。

I got through the document screening.

Usage 審査を通る, 審査を受ける — passing or undergoing screening. 審査員 is a judge. Unlike 検査, a technical inspection, 審査 involves judgement. Read しんさ.

Remember it 審 (examine closely) + 査 (investigate) → examined and judged on what is found.

メーカーが推奨すいしょうする使つかい方かただ。

It is the method the manufacturer recommends.

Usage 〜を推奨する — recommending officially. Transitive. More formal than 勧める. 推奨環境 is the recommended system requirement. Read すいしょう.

Remember it 推 (put forward) + 奨 (encourage) → put forward with encouragement behind it.

かつての名門めいもんも凋落ちょうらくした。

Even the once great house has fallen.

Usage 〜が凋落する — declining from a former position. INTRANSITIVE. 凋 is to wither. Written register. Read ちょうらく.

Remember it 凋 (wither) + 落 (fall) → withered, and then fallen.