する動詞 V

長年ながねん使つかった道具どうぐに愛着あいちゃくがある。

I am attached to tools I have used for years.

Usage 〜に愛着がある, 愛着が湧く — being attached to something. Note the に. Read あいちゃく; in Buddhist usage あいじゃく.

Remember it 愛 (love) + 着 (cling) → fondness that has stuck to the thing.

胸むねに圧迫あっぱく感かんがある。

I have a feeling of pressure in my chest.

Usage 〜を圧迫する, physical compression; and 経営を圧迫する, squeezing a business. 圧迫感 is a feeling of oppression. Read あっぱく.

Remember it 圧 (press) + 迫 (bear down) → pressed and bearing down on you.

人事じんじの任免にんめんは社長しゃちょうの権限けんげんだ。

Appointments and dismissals are the president's prerogative.

Usage 任免権 is the power to appoint and dismiss. 任 is to appoint and 免 to remove: one word covering both directions. Read にんめん.

Remember it 任 (appoint) + 免 (dismiss) → putting in and taking out.

説明せつめいに違和いわ感かんを覚おぼえた。

Something about the explanation felt off.

Usage 違和感を覚える, 違和感がある — sensing that something does not fit. It is used almost entirely in the compound 違和感. Read いわ.

Remember it 違 (differ) + 和 (harmony) → out of harmony with what is around it.

原典げんてんから正確せいかくに引用いんようする。

Quoting accurately from the original text.

Usage 〜を引用する, 〜から引用する — quoting. Transitive. 引用符 are quotation marks. Read いんよう.

Remember it 引 (draw) + 用 (use) → drawn out of the source and put to use.

技わざのこつを会得えとくした。

I got the knack of the technique.

Usage 〜を会得する — grasping something through experience rather than theory. Read えとく, not かいとく — the reading is a frequent exam item.

Remember it 会 (meet) + 得 (obtain) → meeting it often enough that you come to own it.

候補こうほ者しゃが駅前えきまえで演説えんぜつした。

The candidate gave a speech in front of the station.

Usage 演説する, 演説を行う — addressing a crowd. Unlike スピーチ, which is short and informal, 演説 is political in flavour. Read えんぜつ.

Remember it 演 (perform) + 説 (discourse) → a discourse performed before an audience.

電話でんわの応対おうたいが丁寧ていねいだ。

Her manner on the telephone is courteous.

Usage 〜に応対する — dealing with a caller or visitor. Read おうたい — do not confuse 応答 (おうとう), replying. 対 is facing the person.

Remember it 応 (respond) + 対 (face) → responding to the person in front of you.

味方みかたに加勢かせいした。

I weighed in on my ally's side.

Usage 〜に加勢する — lending support, taking someone's side. Note the に. 勢 is force or strength. Read かせい.

Remember it 加 (add) + 勢 (force) → adding your force to theirs.

酔よった友人ゆうじんを介抱かいほうした。

I looked after my drunken friend.

Usage 〜を介抱する — tending to someone ill or drunk on the spot. Read かいほう — do not confuse 解放, liberation, or 開放, opening up. A frequent trap.

Remember it 介 (attend to) + 抱 (hold) → holding them up and seeing them through it.

半生はんせいを回顧かいこする本ほんを書かいた。

He wrote a book looking back on his life.

Usage 〜を回顧する, 回顧録 — looking back, a memoir. More formal than 振り返る. Read かいこ — do not confuse 解雇 (かいこ), dismissal.

Remember it 回 (turn) + 顧 (look back) → turning the head to look back the way you came.

鮎あゆ漁りょうが解禁かいきんされた。

The ban on sweetfish fishing was lifted.

Usage 〜が解禁される — a ban being lifted. Used of fishing seasons, new wine, and information cleared for release. Read かいきん.

Remember it 解 (release) + 禁 (prohibition) → the prohibition let go.

期日きじつまでの納品のうひんを確約かくやくした。

We gave a firm undertaking to deliver by the date.

Usage 〜を確約する — promising with a guarantee behind it. Stronger than 約束. 確約はできない means one cannot give an assurance. Read かくやく.

Remember it 確 (certain) + 約 (promise) → a promise with certainty attached.

群雄ぐんゆう割拠かっきょの時代じだいだった。

It was an age of rival warlords.

Usage 群雄割拠 — rival powers each holding their own ground — is effectively the only use. It is now applied to a market with many equal players. Read かっきょ.

Remember it 割 (divide) + 拠 (hold a base) → the land divided, each holding his own patch.

見事みごとな技わざに感嘆かんたんした。

I marvelled at the superb technique.

Usage 〜に感嘆する — exclaiming in admiration. Note the に. 感嘆符 is an exclamation mark. Close to 驚嘆. Read かんたん.

Remember it 感 (be moved) + 嘆 (exclaim) → moved enough to say so out loud.

払はらい過すぎた税金ぜいきんが還付かんぷされた。

The overpaid tax was refunded.

Usage 〜が還付される — being refunded. Tax and administrative vocabulary. 還付金 is a tax refund. Read かんぷ.

Remember it 還 (return) + 付 (hand over) → handed back to where it came from.

しつこい勧誘かんゆうを断ことわった。

I turned down the persistent canvassing.

Usage 〜を勧誘する — soliciting, recruiting. Transitive. 勧誘電話 is a cold call. It usually carries a note of nuisance. Read かんゆう.

Remember it 勧 (urge) + 誘 (entice) → urging and enticing you in.

資料しりょうを図書としょ館かんに寄託きたくした。

I deposited the materials with the library.

Usage 〜に寄託する — depositing something for safekeeping while retaining ownership. Unlike 寄贈, which gives it away. Legal vocabulary. Read きたく.

Remember it 寄 (place with) + 託 (entrust) → placed with them and left in their care.

忌憚きたんのないご意見いけんをお聞きかせください。

Please give us your frank opinion.

Usage 忌憚のない意見 — an opinion given without holding back — is all but fixed. The same 忌 as in 忌まわしい. Read きたん.

Remember it 忌 (shun) + 憚 (hold back) → the holding back that the phrase then dispenses with.

厳きびしく詰問きつもんされた。

I was severely cross-examined.

Usage 〜を詰問する — pressing someone hard with questions. Transitive. Far heavier than 質問. The same 詰 as 詰め寄る. Read きつもん.

Remember it 詰 (press close) + 問 (question) → questions pressed until there is no room left.

事実じじつ関係かんけいを糾明きゅうめいする。

Getting to the bottom of the facts.

Usage 〜を糾明する — investigating wrongdoing until it is clear. The same 糾 as 糾弾. Also written 究明, which is the more neutral form. Read きゅうめい.

Remember it 糾 (twist out, investigate) + 明 (make clear) → pulled apart until it is clear.

享楽きょうらく的てきな生活せいかつに溺おぼれた。

He sank into a life of pleasure-seeking.

Usage 享楽的な — given over to pleasure. Critical. The same 享 as 享有 and 享受. Read きょうらく.

Remember it 享 (receive, enjoy) + 楽 (pleasure) → taking the pleasure and nothing else.

画面がめんを凝視ぎょうしし続つづけた。

He went on staring at the screen.

Usage 〜を凝視する — staring fixedly. Transitive. 凝 means to congeal: the gaze fixed in one place. Read ぎょうし.

Remember it 凝 (congeal) + 視 (look) → the look frozen where it fell.

対応たいおうに苦慮くりょしている。

We are at a loss over how to respond.

Usage 〜に苦慮する — agonising over a difficult problem. Note the に. Formal, common in official statements. Read くりょ.

Remember it 苦 (painful) + 慮 (consider) → thinking about it until the thinking hurts.

面倒めんどうな仕事しごとは敬遠けいえんされがちだ。

Troublesome work tends to be given a wide berth.

Usage 〜を敬遠する — keeping at arm's length behind a show of respect. From Confucius's 敬して遠ざく. Read けいえん.

Remember it 敬 (respect) + 遠 (keep distant) → respecting it, and keeping well away from it.

全ぜん精力せいりょくを傾注けいちゅうした。

He devoted all his energies to it.

Usage 〜に〜を傾注する — pouring all one's energy into something. Transitive. The same 傾 as 傾倒. Formal written style. Read けいちゅう.

Remember it 傾 (tilt) + 注 (pour) → tilting the vessel and pouring the whole of it in.

市民しみんを啓蒙けいもうする活動かつどうだ。

It is work aimed at enlightening the public.

Usage 〜を啓蒙する, 啓蒙活動 — educating, raising awareness. 蒙 means benighted. Because it can sound condescending, 啓発 is often preferred now. Read けいもう.

Remember it 啓 (open up) + 蒙 (darkness) → opening up what was in the dark.

責任せきにん感かんの欠如けつじょが問題もんだいだ。

The lack of a sense of responsibility is the problem.

Usage 〜が欠如する, 〜の欠如 — a complete absence. The object is always abstract: 責任感, 常識, 配慮. Stronger than 不足. Read けつじょ.

Remember it 欠 (lacking) + 如 (as if) → as if the thing were simply not there.

地元じもとの名産めいさんを献上けんじょうした。

We presented a local speciality to him.

Usage 〜を献上する — presenting to a sovereign or noble. Humble language. The same 献 as 献身 and 貢献. Read けんじょう.

Remember it 献 (offer up) + 上 (above) → offered up to someone above you.

食欲しょくよくが減退げんたいしている。

My appetite is falling off.

Usage 〜が減退する — waning. INTRANSITIVE. Subjects: 食欲, 気力, 記憶力. Its opposite is 増進. Read げんたい.

Remember it 減 (decrease) + 退 (retreat) → falling back and falling off.

証明しょうめい書しょが交付こうふされた。

The certificate was issued.

Usage 〜を交付する — an authority issuing documents or grants. Often passive. 交付金 is a grant. Read こうふ.

Remember it 交 (hand over) + 付 (give) → handed over officially.

判定はんていに抗議こうぎした。

He protested against the decision.

Usage 〜に抗議する — lodging a formal protest. Note the に. Stronger than 反対, because it is an act, not just a position. Read こうぎ.

Remember it 抗 (resist) + 議 (argue) → arguing back against it.

批評ひひょう家かに酷評こくひょうされた。

It was panned by the critics.

Usage 〜を酷評する — reviewing harshly. Transitive, often passive. The same 酷 as 酷使 and 残酷. Read こくひょう.

Remember it 酷 (harsh) + 評 (review) → a review with no mercy in it.

助たすけてほしいと懇願こんがんした。

He begged me to help him.

Usage 〜を懇願する — entreating earnestly. Far stronger than 頼む. The same 懇 as ねんごろに and 懇切. Read こんがん.

Remember it 懇 (earnest) + 願 (beg) → begging with everything you have.

国連こくれんで決議けつぎが採択さいたくされた。

The resolution was adopted at the UN.

Usage 〜を採択する — adopting a resolution, or selecting a textbook for use. Often passive. Read さいたく.

Remember it 採 (pick) + 択 (choose) → picked out and chosen.

結論けつろんを再考さいこうしてほしい。

I would like the conclusion reconsidered.

Usage 〜を再考する, 再考を促す — reconsidering, urging a rethink. Formal. Read さいこう — do not confuse 最高 (さいこう), the best.

Remember it 再 (again) + 考 (think) → thinking it over a second time.

精神せいしんが錯乱さくらんしていた。

He was in a state of mental derangement.

Usage 精神が錯乱する — the mind losing its order. INTRANSITIVE. The same 錯 as 錯誤 and 交錯. Read さくらん.

Remember it 錯 (mixed up) + 乱 (disordered) → crossed and disordered past sorting.

趣旨しゅしに賛同さんどうする人ひとが増ふえた。

More people are coming round to the aims.

Usage 〜に賛同する — endorsing an aim or a cause. Note the に. More formal than 賛成. Read さんどう.

Remember it 賛 (approve) + 同 (join with) → approving it and coming in with it.

大臣だいじんが被災ひさい地ちを視察しさつした。

The minister inspected the disaster area.

Usage 〜を視察する — an official going to look at a site. Transitive. Distinct from 見学, a study visit. Read しさつ.

Remember it 視 (look) + 察 (discern) → going to look and see for yourself.

受賞じゅしょうを辞退じたいした。

He declined the award.

Usage 〜を辞退する — politely turning down something offered. Transitive. Distinct from 拒否, a flat refusal. Read じたい.

Remember it 辞 (decline) + 退 (withdraw) → declining, and stepping back from it.

昼食ちゅうしょくは各自かくじ持参じさんしてください。

Please each bring your own lunch.

Usage 〜を持参する — bringing something with you. Formal, common in notices. 持参金 is a dowry. Read じさん.

Remember it 持 (hold) + 参 (come) → coming, and holding it as you come.

お名前なまえを失念しつねんしておりました。

Your name had slipped my mind.

Usage 〜を失念する — forgetting. A polite, self-deprecating substitute for 忘れる, used when apologising. Read しつねん.

Remember it 失 (lose) + 念 (the thought) → the thought lost somewhere along the way.

職務しょくむ怠慢たいまんで譴責けんせき処分しょぶんを受うけた。

He was reprimanded for neglect of duty.

Usage 譴責処分 — a formal reprimand as a disciplinary measure — is the commonest use. Personnel and legal vocabulary. Read けんせき.

Remember it 譴 (reprove) + 責 (blame) → reproved on the record.

収賄しゅうわいの疑うたがいで逮捕たいほされた。

He was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes.

Usage 収賄する, 収賄罪 — bribe-taking. Its direct opposite is 贈賄, bribe-giving, and the two always appear together in news. Read しゅうわい.

Remember it 収 (receive) + 賄 (bribe) → the bribe received rather than offered.

技術ぎじゅつに熟達じゅくたつするまで十じゅう年ねんかかった。

It took ten years to become proficient at the craft.

Usage 〜に熟達する — attaining mastery through long practice. Note the に. Close to 習熟, but 熟達 stresses the level reached. Read じゅくたつ.

Remember it 熟 (ripe) + 達 (attain) → practised until it is ripe and you have got there.

当時とうじの苦労くろうを述懐じゅっかいした。

He recounted the hardships of that time.

Usage 〜を述懐する — recounting one's feelings about the past. Formal written style. 懐 is what is held in the breast. Read じゅっかい.

Remember it 述 (relate) + 懐 (what is in the breast) → putting into words what was kept inside.