する動詞 VI

消防しょうぼう士しが殉職じゅんしょくした。

A firefighter died in the line of duty.

Usage 殉職する — dying while carrying out one's duty. INTRANSITIVE. Used of police, firefighters and soldiers. Read じゅんしょく.

Remember it 殉 (die for) + 職 (duty) → dying for the duty you held.

功績こうせきを大おおいに称揚しょうようされた。

His achievements were greatly extolled.

Usage 〜を称揚する — extolling publicly. More formal than 称賛. The same 称 as 称賛 and 名称. Read しょうよう.

Remember it 称 (extol) + 揚 (raise up) → praise raised high where all can hear.

お茶ちゃを所望しょもうされた。

He asked for tea.

Usage 〜を所望する — expressing a wish for something. Formal and archaic in flavour, common in period drama. Read しょもう.

Remember it 所 (that which) + 望 (is wished for) → the thing wished for.

ご来場らいじょうの方かたに記念きねん品ひんを進呈しんていします。

A gift will be presented to those attending.

Usage 〜を進呈する — presenting respectfully. Humble language, so used only of what you give to others. Common in advertising. Read しんてい.

Remember it 進 (offer forward) + 呈 (present) → held forward and offered.

お気持きもちお推察すいさついたします。

I can imagine how you must feel.

Usage お推察いたします — a formal expression of sympathy. Unlike 推測, which conjectures about facts, 推察 is about another's feelings. Read すいさつ.

Remember it 推 (infer) + 察 (discern) → inferring what is going on inside someone.

師しを崇拝すうはいしている。

He reveres his teacher.

Usage 〜を崇拝する — worshipping, revering. Transitive. 偶像崇拝 is idolatry. Far stronger than 尊敬. Read すうはい.

Remember it 崇 (revere) + 拝 (bow to) → revering, and bowing to it.

国歌こっかを斉唱せいしょうした。

We sang the national anthem in unison.

Usage 〜を斉唱する — singing in unison. Distinct from 合唱, singing in parts, and the distinction is a frequent exam item. Read せいしょう.

Remember it 斉 (all alike) + 唱 (sing) → all singing the one line together.

関係かんけい者しゃと接触せっしょくを図はかった。

We sought contact with those involved.

Usage 〜と接触する, making contact — note the と; and physical contact, 接触事故, a minor collision. Read せっしょく.

Remember it 接 (join) + 触 (touch) → coming close enough to touch.

専横せんおうな振ふる舞まいが反発はんぱつを招まねいた。

His despotic conduct provoked resistance.

Usage 専横な, 専横を極める — arbitrary and overbearing rule. The same 横 as 横暴 and 横柄. Written register. Read せんおう.

Remember it 専 (exclusive) + 横 (unreasonable) → doing as you please because no one can stop you.

前向まえむきに善処ぜんしょいたします。

We shall deal with it appropriately.

Usage 善処します — 'we will handle it properly'. The crucial point: in politics and diplomacy this is often a polite way of promising nothing. Read ぜんしょ.

Remember it 善 (well) + 処 (handle) → handling it well, or saying you will.

相次あいつぐ失敗しっぱいで意気いき阻喪そそうした。

Repeated failures left our spirits crushed.

Usage 意気阻喪 — morale collapsing — is all but the only use. Also written 沮喪. Read そそう — do not confuse 粗相 (そそう), a blunder.

Remember it 阻 (block) + 喪 (loss) → the spirit blocked and then lost.

意思いしの疎通そつうが欠かけていた。

There was a failure of communication.

Usage 意思疎通 — mutual understanding — is virtually the only context. The same 疎 as 疎外 and 疎い. Read そつう.

Remember it 疎 (open, sparse) + 通 (pass through) → the way between two minds kept open.

現状げんじょう打破だはを訴うったえた。

He called for breaking with the status quo.

Usage 〜を打破する, 現状打破 — smashing through what stands in the way. Transitive. Objects: 現状, 常識, 記録. Read だは.

Remember it 打 (strike) + 破 (break) → struck until it breaks.

待望たいぼうの新作しんさくが公開こうかいされた。

The long-awaited new work has been released.

Usage 待望の〜 — long awaited; it always precedes a noun with の. 待望論 is a public clamour for someone to step forward. Read たいぼう.

Remember it 待 (wait) + 望 (hope) → waited for and hoped for.

皆みなの気持きもちを代弁だいべんしたい。

I want to speak for how everyone feels.

Usage 〜を代弁する — speaking on someone's behalf. Transitive. 代弁者 is a spokesperson. Read だいべん.

Remember it 代 (in place of) + 弁 (speak) → speaking in their place.

反対はんたいを押おし切きって改革かいかくを断行だんこうした。

He pushed the reform through against opposition.

Usage 〜を断行する — carrying something out resolutely despite obstacles. Transitive. 熟慮断行 means think it through, then act decisively. Read だんこう.

Remember it 断 (decide, cut) + 行 (carry out) → the decision cut clean and then acted on.

裁判さいばん官かんの弾劾だんがい裁判さいばんが開ひらかれた。

An impeachment trial of the judge was held.

Usage 〜を弾劾する, 弾劾裁判 — impeaching a senior official. Constitutional vocabulary. The same 弾 as 糾弾 and 弾圧. Read だんがい.

Remember it 弾 (accuse) + 劾 (investigate a crime) → the formal charge brought against office-holders.

社長しゃちょうが記者きしゃ会見かいけんで陳謝ちんしゃした。

The president apologised at a press conference.

Usage 陳謝する — apologising formally with an explanation. More formal than 謝罪. 陳 is to set forth. The same 陳 as 陳列 and 陳腐. Read ちんしゃ.

Remember it 陳 (set forth) + 謝 (apologise) → setting out the case and apologising for it.

沈着ちんちゃく冷静れいせいに対処たいしょした。

He dealt with it calmly and coolly.

Usage 沈着冷静 — composed and level-headed — is the four-character compound in which it usually appears. Complimentary. Read ちんちゃく.

Remember it 沈 (settle) + 着 (stay put) → settled, and staying where it settled.

追悼ついとう式しきが営いとなまれた。

A memorial service was held.

Usage 追悼式, 〜を追悼する — a memorial service, mourning the dead. 悼 is to grieve for. Read ついとう.

Remember it 追 (follow after) + 悼 (grieve) → grief following after the one who has gone.

海外かいがい企業きぎょうと提携ていけいする。

Forming a tie-up with an overseas company.

Usage 〜と提携する — entering a partnership. Note the と. 業務提携 is a business alliance. 携 is to take by the hand. Read ていけい.

Remember it 提 (take up) + 携 (join hands) → the two taking each other by the hand.

売うり上あげが低迷ていめいしている。

Sales are in the doldrums.

Usage 〜が低迷する — languishing, unable to lift. INTRANSITIVE. Literally low cloud hanging about. Subjects: 売上, 景気, 成績. Read ていめい.

Remember it 低 (low) + 迷 (drift) → hanging low and drifting, like cloud that will not clear.

部隊ぶたいが撤収てっしゅうを開始かいしした。

The unit began to withdraw.

Usage 〜を撤収する — striking camp, pulling out. The same 撤 as 撤廃 and 撤退. Read てっしゅう.

Remember it 撤 (withdraw) + 収 (gather in) → the tents gathered in and taken away.

全ぜん行程こうていを踏破とうはした。

He covered the entire route on foot.

Usage 〜を踏破する — traversing a long distance on foot. Transitive. 踏 is to tread and 破 to get through. Read とうは.

Remember it 踏 (tread) + 破 (break through) → walking the whole of it and coming out the other end.

部下ぶかを督励とくれいして期日きじつに間まに合あわせた。

He urged his staff on and met the deadline.

Usage 〜を督励する — supervising and spurring on at once. The same 督 as 督促 and 監督. Formal written style. Read とくれい.

Remember it 督 (oversee) + 励 (urge on) → standing over them and urging them on.

この分野ぶんやで突出とっしゅつした成績せいせきだ。

It is an outstanding record in this field.

Usage 突出した〜 — standing head and shoulders above the rest; and the literal sense of jutting out. The first is the tested one. Read とっしゅつ.

Remember it 突 (thrust) + 出 (out) → thrust out beyond the line of everything else.

この制度せいどに内在ないざいする問題もんだいだ。

It is a problem inherent in this system.

Usage 〜に内在する — being inherent in. INTRANSITIVE, taking に. Its counterpart is 外在. Academic written style. Read ないざい.

Remember it 内 (within) + 在 (exist) → present inside it from the start.

手落ておちを難詰なんきつされた。

I was harshly reproached for the oversight.

Usage 〜を難詰する — reproaching severely, pressing with hard questions. The same 詰 as 詰問 and 詰め寄る. Written register. Read なんきつ.

Remember it 難 (fault) + 詰 (press) → pressing them hard about the fault.

忍耐にんたい強づよく待まち続つづけた。

He went on waiting patiently.

Usage 忍耐強い, 忍耐力 — patient, staying power. More formal than 我慢 or 辛抱. Read にんたい.

Remember it 忍 (endure) + 耐 (bear) → bearing it, and going on bearing it.

二酸化にさんか炭素たんその排出はいしゅつを減へらす。

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Usage 〜を排出する — emitting, discharging. Transitive. 排出量 is the volume emitted. Do not confuse 輩出 (はいしゅつ), producing talented people. Read はいしゅつ.

Remember it 排 (push out) + 出 (out) → pushed out and away.

屈辱くつじょく的てきな敗北はいぼくを喫きっした。

They suffered a humiliating defeat.

Usage 敗北を喫する, 敗北する — suffering defeat. More formal than 負ける. Its opposite is 勝利. Here 北 means turning your back and fleeing. Read はいぼく.

Remember it 敗 (defeat) + 北 (turn the back) → beaten, and the back turned in flight.

塗装とそうが剥離はくりしている。

The paintwork is peeling away.

Usage 〜が剥離する — coming away from a surface. INTRANSITIVE. The same 剥 as 剥奪 and 剥ぐ. Also a medical term. Read はくり.

Remember it 剥 (peel) + 離 (separate) → peeled up and parted from what it was on.

言いわれたことを何度なんども反芻はんすうした。

I turned over what had been said to me again and again.

Usage Rumination in animals; and the N1 sense 〜を反芻する, chewing something over mentally. The second is the tested one. Read はんすう.

Remember it 反 (again) + 芻 (fodder) → bringing it back up and chewing it a second time.

新あたらしい作品さくひんを披露ひろうした。

He unveiled his new work.

Usage 〜を披露する, 披露宴 — unveiling, and a wedding reception. Transitive. Read ひろう — do not confuse 疲労 (ひろう), fatigue. A frequent trap.

Remember it 披 (open out) + 露 (expose) → opened out where everyone can see.

証言しょうげんが見事みごとに符合ふごうした。

The testimonies tallied exactly.

Usage 〜と符合する — tallying, coinciding. INTRANSITIVE. Do not confuse 符号 (ふごう), a sign or symbol. Read ふごう.

Remember it 符 (tally stick) + 合 (match) → the two halves of the tally fitting together.

資金しきん繰ぐりに腐心ふしんしている。

He is taking great pains over the cash flow.

Usage 〜に腐心する — racking one's brains over something difficult. Note the に. 腐 is to rot: worrying about it until you are sick. Read ふしん.

Remember it 腐 (rot) + 心 (heart) → worrying at it until the heart is worn through.

声援せいえんに奮起ふんきして追おい上あげた。

Roused by the cheering, they closed the gap.

Usage 〜に奮起する — being roused to effort. INTRANSITIVE. 奮起を促す is to spur someone on. Read ふんき.

Remember it 奮 (rouse) + 起 (rise) → roused, and up on your feet.

書類しょるいを紛失ふんしつしてしまった。

I have lost the documents.

Usage 〜を紛失する — mislaying, losing. More formal than なくす and common in reports. The same 紛 as 紛糾 and 紛れもない. Read ふんしつ.

Remember it 紛 (get mixed up) + 失 (lose) → mixed in with something and lost track of.

借入かりいれ金きんを全額ぜんがく弁済べんさいした。

He repaid the loan in full.

Usage 〜を弁済する — repaying a debt. Legal and financial vocabulary, more formal than 返済. Read べんさい.

Remember it 弁 (discharge) + 済 (settle) → the obligation discharged and settled.

赤字あかじを補填ほてんする必要ひつようがある。

The deficit will need to be made up.

Usage 〜を補填する — making up a shortfall. Transitive. Objects: 赤字, 損失, 不足分. 填 is to fill in. Read ほてん.

Remember it 補 (supplement) + 填 (fill) → the hole filled in.

休暇きゅうかを満喫まんきつした。

I made the most of the holiday.

Usage 〜を満喫する — enjoying to the full. Transitive. Objects: 休暇, 自然, 味. 喫 is to partake of. Read まんきつ.

Remember it 満 (full) + 喫 (partake) → taking it in until you are full of it.

沈思ちんし黙考もっこうの時間じかんが必要ひつようだ。

Time for silent contemplation is needed.

Usage 沈思黙考 — deep silent thought — is effectively the only use. Read もっこう, not もくこう.

Remember it 黙 (silent) + 考 (think) → thinking with the mouth shut.

両りょう民族みんぞくの融和ゆうわを目指めざす。

Working toward harmony between the two peoples.

Usage 〜の融和を図る — seeking reconciliation. 融 is to melt and merge. Do not confuse 柔和 (にゅうわ), gentle. Read ゆうわ.

Remember it 融 (melt together) + 和 (harmony) → melted together into one.

新人しんじんを候補こうほに擁立ようりつした。

They put a newcomer forward as their candidate.

Usage 〜を擁立する — backing someone into a position. Transitive. Political vocabulary. The same 擁 as 擁護. Read ようりつ.

Remember it 擁 (hold up in the arms) + 立 (set standing) → held up and set on their feet.

結果けっかを知しって落胆らくたんした。

I was downcast when I heard the result.

Usage 〜に落胆する — being disheartened. INTRANSITIVE. 胆 is the gall bladder: the bottom drops out of you. Read らくたん.

Remember it 落 (drop) + 胆 (gall, courage) → the heart dropping out of you.