する動詞 VII

命いのちだけは助たすけてくれと哀願あいがんした。

He pleaded to be spared at least his life.

Usage 〜を哀願する — begging piteously. Stronger than 懇願, with tears and desperation in it. 哀 is sorrow. Read あいがん.

Remember it 哀 (grief) + 願 (beg) → begging out of grief.

無事ぶじの知しらせに安堵あんどした。

I was relieved at the news that they were safe.

Usage 〜に安堵する, 安堵の表情 — being relieved, a look of relief. INTRANSITIVE. More formal than 安心. Read あんど.

Remember it 安 (at ease) + 堵 (the wall round a house) → safe inside your own walls again.

監督かんとくの一喝いっかつで場ばが静しずまった。

One sharp word from the coach silenced the room.

Usage 一喝する, 一喝を浴びる — delivering or receiving a thundering rebuke. 喝 is the shout of a Zen master. Read いっかつ — the same sound as 一括, lumping together.

Remember it 一 (one) + 喝 (shout) → one shout, and it lands.

山やま里ざとに隠遁いんとんして暮くらした。

He retired to a mountain village and lived there.

Usage 〜に隠遁する, 隠遁生活 — withdrawing from the world. INTRANSITIVE. Classical and literary in flavour. Close to 隠居. Read いんとん.

Remember it 隠 (hide) + 遁 (flee) → fleeing the world and hiding from it.

専門せんもん家かが分わかりやすく解説かいせつした。

A specialist explained it in accessible terms.

Usage 〜を解説する, 解説者 — explaining, a commentator. Unlike 説明, plain explaining, 解説 implies expert analysis. Read かいせつ.

Remember it 解 (unravel) + 説 (explain) → unravelling it and setting it out.

安価あんかな製品せいひんに市場しじょうから駆逐くちくされた。

They were driven from the market by cheap products.

Usage 〜を駆逐する — driving out, sweeping away. Transitive, often passive. 駆 is to drive and 逐 to chase. Read くちく.

Remember it 駆 (drive) + 逐 (chase off) → driven out and chased away.

最悪さいあくの事態じたいも覚悟かくごしている。

I am prepared even for the worst outcome.

Usage 〜を覚悟する, 覚悟ができる — bracing oneself for something bad. 覚悟の上だ means one knew what one was taking on. Read かくご.

Remember it 覚 (realise) + 悟 (comprehend) → having realised what is coming, and accepting it.

領土りょうどの割譲かつじょうを迫せまられた。

They were pressed to cede territory.

Usage 〜を割譲する — ceding part of a territory. Historical and diplomatic vocabulary. 割 is to cut and 譲 to yield. Read かつじょう.

Remember it 割 (cut off) + 譲 (yield) → a piece cut off and handed over.

相手あいての意図いとを看破かんぱした。

I saw through the other side's intention.

Usage 〜を看破する — seeing through what was concealed. Transitive. More formal than 見抜く. 看 is to observe closely, 破 to penetrate. Read かんぱ.

Remember it 看 (observe) + 破 (break through) → looking until the cover breaks.

楽観らっかん的てきな観測かんそくが広ひろがっている。

Optimistic forecasts are spreading.

Usage Astronomical and meteorological observation; and the N1 sense 〜との観測, a forecast or assessment. 希望的観測 is wishful thinking. Read かんそく.

Remember it 観 (observe) + 測 (measure) → watching and measuring, then predicting.

当然とうぜんの帰結きけつと言いえる。

It can be called the natural consequence.

Usage 当然の帰結, 〜に帰結する — the inevitable consequence, resolving into. Academic and argumentative writing. Read きけつ.

Remember it 帰 (return to) + 結 (conclusion) → where the argument comes home to.

若手わかてを大胆だいたんに起用きようした。

They boldly gave young players their chance.

Usage 〜を起用する — picking someone and giving them their opportunity. Transitive. Common in sport, personnel and advertising. Read きよう.

Remember it 起 (raise up) + 用 (use) → brought up out of the ranks and put to use.

監督かんとくの去就きょしゅうが注目ちゅうもくされている。

Attention is on whether the coach will stay.

Usage 去就が注目される, 去就を決める — the question of whether one goes or stays. 去 is to leave and 就 to take up a post: one word for both options. Read きょしゅう.

Remember it 去 (leave) + 就 (take up) → going or taking it on, one or the other.

禁錮きんこ三さん年ねんの判決はんけつが下くだった。

A sentence of three years' imprisonment was handed down.

Usage 禁錮〜年 — a term of imprisonment. Distinct from 懲役, which includes compulsory labour; 禁錮 does not. The legal distinction is a frequent exam item. Read きんこ.

Remember it 禁 (forbid) + 錮 (confine) → shut in and kept there.

害虫がいちゅうの駆除くじょを業者ぎょうしゃに頼たのんだ。

We asked contractors to exterminate the pests.

Usage 〜を駆除する — exterminating vermin. Transitive. The object is always a harmful creature. The same 駆 as 駆逐 and 駆使. Read くじょ.

Remember it 駆 (drive out) + 除 (remove) → driven out and got rid of.

相手あいての話はなしに傾聴けいちょうする。

Listening attentively to what the other person says.

Usage 〜に傾聴する, 傾聴に値する — listening closely, being worth listening to. The same 傾 as 傾倒 and 傾注. Read けいちょう.

Remember it 傾 (lean) + 聴 (listen) → leaning in to hear it.

来場らいじょう者しゃ数すうが激減げきげんした。

Visitor numbers fell sharply.

Usage 〜が激減する — dropping steeply. INTRANSITIVE. Related: 激増, 微減. Read げきげん.

Remember it 激 (violent) + 減 (decrease) → a fall steep enough to be violent.

総力そうりょくを結集けっしゅうして取とり組くむ。

Mustering all our strength for the task.

Usage 〜を結集する — concentrating, mustering. Transitive. Objects: 総力, 知恵, 人材. Read けっしゅう.

Remember it 結 (tie) + 集 (gather) → gathered in and tied into one.

改善かいぜん案あんを献策けんさくした。

He put forward a proposal for improvement.

Usage 〜を献策する — offering a proposal to a superior. Formal and archaic in flavour. The same 献 as 献上 and 献身. Read けんさく.

Remember it 献 (offer up) + 策 (plan) → the plan offered up to the one above you.

容疑ようぎ者しゃが検挙けんきょされた。

The suspect was arrested.

Usage 〜を検挙する — police arresting and charging. Often passive. Distinct from 逮捕, physical detention: 検挙 covers cases without custody. Read けんきょ.

Remember it 検 (examine) + 挙 (take up) → taken in and the case taken up.

契約けいやくを更改こうかいした。

The contract was renewed on revised terms.

Usage 契約を更改する — renewing a contract with the terms adjusted. Distinct from 更新, renewing as it stands. Common in sports reporting. Read こうかい.

Remember it 更 (renew) + 改 (revise) → renewed, and revised in the renewing.

筆跡ひっせきが酷似こくじしている。

The handwriting is strikingly similar.

Usage 〜に酷似する — resembling to a suspicious degree. INTRANSITIVE, taking に. 酷 means excessively. It is often used where copying is suspected. Read こくじ.

Remember it 酷 (excessively) + 似 (resemble) → alike past what coincidence explains.

誇大こだい広告こうこくだと批判ひはんされた。

It was criticised as misleading advertising.

Usage 誇大広告, 誇大に言う — exaggerated advertising, overstating. The same 誇 as 誇張 and 誇示. A legal term in advertising. Read こだい.

Remember it 誇 (boast) + 大 (large) → made larger in the telling than it is.

生活せいかつに困窮こんきゅうしている世帯せたいだ。

It is a household in financial distress.

Usage 〜に困窮する — being in dire straits. Note the に. The same 窮 as 窮乏 and 窮地. Read こんきゅう.

Remember it 困 (be stuck) + 窮 (at the end of resources) → stuck, with nothing left to fall back on.

中古ちゅうこ車しゃの査定さていを受うけた。

I had the second-hand car valued.

Usage 査定を受ける, 〜を査定する — having something appraised, assessing it. Used of asset values and of staff appraisals. Read さてい.

Remember it 査 (investigate) + 定 (fix) → looked into and a figure fixed.

新しん規きに市場しじょうへ参入さんにゅうした。

They newly entered the market.

Usage 〜に参入する — entering a market or industry. Note the に. 新規参入 is a new entrant. Read さんにゅう.

Remember it 参 (join) + 入 (enter) → joining in and coming inside.

古ふるい制度せいどが残存ざんぞんしている。

The old system still survives.

Usage 〜が残存する — remaining in existence. INTRANSITIVE. Read ざんぞん, also ざんそん. 残存者 are survivors.

Remember it 残 (remain) + 存 (exist) → still in existence after the rest has gone.

自みずから最前線さいぜんせんを志願しがんした。

He volunteered for the front line himself.

Usage 〜を志願する, 志願者 — volunteering, an applicant. The stress is on doing it of one's own will. Read しがん.

Remember it 志 (aspiration) + 願 (request) → asking for it because you want it.

新しん法ぽうが来月らいげつから施行しこうされる。

The new law comes into force next month.

Usage 〜を施行する — bringing a law into effect. Read しこう; in legal practice also せこう, to avoid confusion with 試行, a trial. The reading is a frequent exam item.

Remember it 施 (put into practice) + 行 (carry out) → put into practice and made to run.

責任せきにんを取とって辞任じにんした。

He resigned to take responsibility.

Usage 〜を辞任する — resigning a post one holds. Distinct from 退職, leaving employment, and 辞退, declining something offered. Read じにん.

Remember it 辞 (decline) + 任 (post) → giving up the post you hold.

怒いかりを自制じせいできなかった。

I could not restrain my anger.

Usage 〜を自制する, 自制心 — restraining oneself, self-control. Distinct from 自粛, restraining conduct before society: 自制 is holding feelings in. Read じせい.

Remember it 自 (self) + 制 (control) → the self holding the self in check.

情報じょうほうが完全かんぜんに遮断しゃだんされた。

Information was cut off completely.

Usage 〜を遮断する — blocking or cutting off. Transitive. 遮断機 is a level-crossing barrier. 遮 is to screen off. Read しゃだん.

Remember it 遮 (screen off) + 断 (sever) → screened off and the connection severed.

この会場かいじょうは千人せんにんを収容しゅうようできる。

This hall can hold a thousand people.

Usage 〜を収容する, 収容人数 — accommodating, capacity. It is also used of admitting people to an institution: 病院に収容する. Read しゅうよう.

Remember it 収 (take in) + 容 (hold) → taken in and held.

夜よ陰いんに乗じょうじて襲撃しゅうげきされた。

They were attacked under cover of darkness.

Usage 〜を襲撃する — raiding, assaulting. Transitive, often passive. The same 襲 as 襲う. Read しゅうげき.

Remember it 襲 (fall upon) + 撃 (strike) → falling on them and striking.

契約けいやく書しょを熟読じゅくどくしてから署名しょめいする。

Read the contract carefully before signing.

Usage 〜を熟読する — reading closely word by word. Transitive. 熟読玩味 is reading closely and savouring. The same 熟 as 熟慮 and 熟達. Read じゅくどく.

Remember it 熟 (ripe, thorough) + 読 (read) → read until it has ripened in you.

雨天うてんのため順延じゅんえんとなった。

It was put off to the next day because of rain.

Usage 雨天順延 — postponed to the following day in case of rain — is a set phrase on event notices. Distinct from 延期, postponement without a new date. Read じゅんえん.

Remember it 順 (in turn) + 延 (extend) → pushed back to the next day in order.

国債こくさいが満期まんきに償還しょうかんされる。

The government bond is redeemed at maturity.

Usage 〜を償還する — repaying the principal of a bond or loan. Financial vocabulary. The same 償 as 弁償 and 補償. Read しょうかん.

Remember it 償 (compensate) + 還 (return) → the sum given back as it was owed.

上司じょうしに意見いけんを上申じょうしんした。

I submitted my views to my superior.

Usage 〜を上申する, 上申書 — reporting upward, a written submission. It only goes from below to above. Its counterpart is 通達, handed down. Read じょうしん.

Remember it 上 (upward) + 申 (state) → stating it upward to those above.

新あたらしい考かんがえ方かたが浸透しんとうしてきた。

The new way of thinking has taken hold.

Usage Physical permeation; and 〜が浸透する, an idea spreading and taking root in society. INTRANSITIVE. The second is the tested sense. Read しんとう.

Remember it 浸 (soak) + 透 (pass through) → soaking in until it has gone right through.

体力たいりょくが著いちじるしく衰弱すいじゃくしている。

His strength has weakened markedly.

Usage 〜が衰弱する — growing debilitated. INTRANSITIVE. 神経衰弱 is nervous exhaustion. Read すいじゃく.

Remember it 衰 (decline) + 弱 (weaken) → declining and weakening together.

法ほう制度せいどの整備せいびが急いそがれる。

Putting the legal framework in order is urgent.

Usage Servicing machinery, 車を整備する; and putting infrastructure or institutions in order, 制度を整備する. The second is the tested sense. Read せいび.

Remember it 整 (put in order) + 備 (equip) → set in order and properly equipped.

周囲しゅういの制止せいしを振ふり切きった。

He shook off those trying to stop him.

Usage 〜を制止する, 制止を振り切る — restraining someone, breaking free of restraint. Transitive. Read せいし — do not confuse 静止 (せいし), being at rest.

Remember it 制 (control) + 止 (stop) → held and stopped.

選手せんしゅ代表だいひょうが宣誓せんせいした。

A representative of the athletes took the oath.

Usage 宣誓する, 宣誓式 — swearing an oath, an oath-taking ceremony. Used in courts, sport and inaugurations. Read せんせい — the same sound as 先生, so read by context.

Remember it 宣 (declare) + 誓 (swear) → the oath declared out loud.

犯人はんにんは都内とないに潜伏せんぷくしていた。

The culprit had been lying low in the city.

Usage 〜に潜伏する, hiding out; and 潜伏期間, an incubation period. The same 潜 as 潜入 and 潜在. Read せんぷく.

Remember it 潜 (submerge) + 伏 (lie low) → under the surface and lying flat.