VERBS—upper intermediate Flashcards
to abbreviate (a name, etc.)
略す
[りゃくす]
tr.
to hook something on / to catch something on / to get something stuck on
引っ掛ける
[ひっかける] **
tr.
to finish something up / to finish off / to polish up
仕上げる
[しあげる] **
tr.
to put out / to put up (posters, etc.) / to hoist (a flag) / to fly (a kite)
to roll up / to tuck up (sleeves)
to carry an article / to publish
掲げる
[かかげる] **
tr.
to starve / to thirst
飢える
[かつえる] **
intr.
餓える
to depend on someone’s kindness / to demand attention / to behave like a spoiled child
甘える
[あまえる] **
intr.
to be scattered about
散らばる
[ちらばる]
intr.
to be unable to / to find it difficult to do (formal use)
aux. verb
かねる **
intr.
to become opened up / to develop / to progress / to become civilized
開ける
[ひらける] **
intr.
to become aware (of) / to perceive / to realize
to recover consciousness / to come to oneself
気がつく
[きがつく]
intr.
to swell / to cause to expand / to make rise (e.g. yeast makes dough rise)
膨らます
[ふくらます]
tr.
to force into / to drive (into the wall, etc.) / to push into (a corner, etc.) / to herd
追い込む
[おいこむ]
tr.
to send (someone) home
帰す
[かえす]
tr.
to knit / to braid / to weave
編む
[あむ]
tr.
to become stiff (e.g. stiff shoulders)
to be absorbed in / to be devoted to / to be elaborate (e.g. an elaborate design)
*** alt: reading = to congeal / to freeze
凝る
> [こる]
intr.
凝る
[こごる]
intr.
to suck (on)
しゃぶる
tr.
to lie down / to throw oneself down
寝転ぶ
[ねころぶ]
intr.
to hit (a person) / to strike
to hit one’s head on something
打つ
> [ぶつ]
tr.
頭をぶつ
to make do with / to manage with (what’s available)
間に合わせる
[まにあわせる] **
tr.
to grieve / to mourn / to lament
嘆く
[なげく]
intr.
to dissuade someone from leaving / to hold (someone) back / to restrain (someone)
引き止める
[ひきとめる] **
tr.
to be finished up / to be finish off / to be polished up
仕上がる
[しあがる]
intr.
to dilute / to make (a liquid) weaker
薄める
[うすめる] **
tr.
to leave a message / to send word
言付ける
[ことづける] **
tr.
to spring back / to bounce (e.g. a ball)
弾む
[はずむ]
intr.
to dye (something) / to stain
染める
[そめる] **
tr.
to be worth / to be worthy of / to deserve / to merit
値する
[あたいする]
intr.
to bow in veneration / to bring one’s hands together to pray (esp. in buddhist practice)
拝む
[おがむ]
tr.
to take back / to regain / to recover / to restore to a previous state / to make up for something done
取り戻す
[とりもどす]
tr.
to rip / to tear apart / to split open
裂ける
[さける] **
intr.
to sit down (literary)
腰掛ける
[こしかける] **
intr.
to lend out (from a library, etc.)
貸し出す
[かしだす]
tr.
to paraphrase / to express in different words
言い換える
[いいかえる] **
tr.
to inform someone of / to tell (the truth, etc.) / to announce (important news, etc.)
告げる
[つげる] **
tr.
to groan / to moan / to growl / to howl
to hum (e.g. an engine) / to emit a dull sound
うなる
intr.
to build up / to establish / to form
to achieve / to succeed in
to do / to preform / to carry out
成す
> [なす]
tr.
為す
> [なす]
tr.
to handle / to operate (a machine, etc.)
to deal with (an issue, a person) / to manage (a situation)
取り扱う
[とりあつかう]
tr.
to divide (a room, an area, etc.) / to partition / to mark-off
to enter a pause or a break (between words or when reading) / to punctate or end a sentence
区切る
[くぎる]
tr.
句切る
[くぎる]
tr.
to cut (hair) / to mow (grass) / to clip / to trim
刈る
> [かる]
tr.
to tell something on one’s mind / to be frank / to confess
打ち明ける
[うちあける] **
tr.
to fire somebody (from a job)
to be fired
辞めさせる
[やめさせる] **
tr. (causative)
辞めさせられる
[やめさせられる] **
intr. (causative-passive)
to become loose / to slacken
to become less tense / to let down one’s guard
緩む
[ゆるむ]
intr.
to drive in / to hammer in (a nail, etc.)
to devote oneself to / to be passionate about (an activity)
打ち込む
[うちこむ]
tr.
to rust / to become rusty
錆びる
[さびる] **
intr.
to inflict pain / to hurt
to cause damage / to harm / to spoil
痛める
[いためる] **
tr.
傷める
[いためる] **
tr.
to honor / to revere / to show respect to (a group of people, etc.)
敬う
[うやまう]
tr.
to loosen (something)
緩める
[ゆるめる] **
tr.
to write (a book) / to publish
著す
[あらわす]
tr.
to tell of / to indicate / to say a lot about / to narrate (a story, etc.)
物語る
[ものがたる]
tr.
to grasp / to seize / to capture (alt. use)
to grasp a notion / to perceive as / to treat as
捕らえる
[とらえる] **
tr.
捉える
[とらえる] **
tr.
to get between / to be caught in (e.g. something stuck in your teeth)
挟まる
[はさまる]
intr.
to be caught / to be trapped / to be stuck in something (e.g. a fish in a net)
to fall for (a trick, a con, a scam, etc.) / to be deceived / to be cheated
引っ掛かる
[ひっかかる]
intr.
to become boiled (in a pot, etc.) / to become simmered
煮える
[にえる] **
intr.
to tower (over) / to rise high (above) / to soar
to tower over the surrounding area
聳える
> [そびえる] **
intr.
聳え立つ
[そびえたつ]
intr.
to stir up (food in a pot, etc.)
かき回す
[かきまわす]
tr.
to give something a rest (e.g. your body) / to give relief to
休める
[やすめる] **
tr.
to make wet / to get (something) wet
濡らす
[ぬらす]
tr.
to become turbid / to get muddled or dirty (a river, etc.)
to become dull (sound, color) / to become hoarse (voice)
濁る
[にごる]
intr.
to split something open / to tear apart / to forcibly separate / to cleave / to cut open (in surgery, etc.)
to spare time / to spare money / to use (only) a part of something
裂く
[さく]
tr.
割く
[さく]
tr.
to swallow (deeply) / to gulp down
to catch on to / to understand / to take in
飲み込む
[のみこむ]
tr.
呑み込む
to take back / to regain / to recover
取り返す
[とりかえす]
tr.
to take / to capture / to seize hold of (alt. use, especially for catching fish or animals)
捕る
[とる]
tr.
to bring up (something) / to speak up / to speak out / to break the ice
言い出す
[いいだす]
tr.
to regret (a loss, etc.) / to feel sorry about / to feel sorry for
to be stingy or frugal / to be sparing
惜しむ
[おしむ]
tr.
to cook rice
炊く
[たく]
tr.
to be let go / to get fired (idiomatic use)
首になる
[くびになる]
intr.
to relax / to feel at home
寛ぐ
> [くつろぐ]
to be mixed / to be stirred together (when substances are indistinguishable)
to join people together / to mix a group of people
混ざる
[まざる]
intr.
交ざる
[まざる]
intr.
to discipline / to train / to teach manners
躾ける
> [しつける] **
tr.
to be dyed / to be stained
to be infected with / to be tainted
染まる
[そまる]
intr.
to have suspicions about / to suspect or doubt
怪しむ
[あやしむ]
tr.
to cherish / to adore / to be affectionate towards (used in the 3rd person)
可愛がる
[かわいがる]
tr. + intr.
to obstruct / to hinder / to interfere with / to disturb (one’s sleep, etc.)
妨げる
[さまたげる] **
tr.
to become clear (sound, weather, etc.) / to become transparent / to become tranquil
澄む
[すむ]
intr.
清む
[すむ]
intr.
to be one-sided / to be biased / to be-unbalanced (e.g. one’s diet) / to lean one way (in a metaphorical sense)
to lean to one side (in a physical sense)
偏る
[かたよる]
intr.
片寄る
[かたよる]
intr.
to row / to paddle / to pedal / to swing
to row a boat
to pedal a bicycle
漕ぐ
> [こぐ]
tr.
ボートをこぐ
自転車をこぐ
to grow (a beard, etc.) / to have facial hair
生やす
[はやす]
tr.
to imitate / to model after / to forge or counterfeit
似せる
[にせる] **
tr.
to become transparent / to become clear / can be seen through
透き通る
[すきとおる]
intr.
to come off / to be peeling / to be taken off
剥ける
[むける] **
intr.
剝ける
to be renewed / to be changed (for the better)
改まる
[あらたまる]
intr.
to roll (something) over
転がす
[ころがす]
tr.
to run away / to flee / to escape from / to take to one’s heels
逃げ出す
[にげだす]
tr.
to be much obliged to someone / to be indebted to / to be grateful (for one’s help, etc.)
お世話になる
[おせわになる]
intr.
to store / to put in stock / to stock up on
to accumulate (knowledge, etc.) / to build up (experience, etc.) / to develop (one’s skills, etc.)
蓄える
[たくわえる] **
tr.
貯える
[たくわえる] **
tr.
to cease / to be stopped
to die out / to peter out / to become extinct
絶える
[たえる] **
intr.
to garnish / to add or attach (e.g. a card to a gift)
添える
[そえる] **
tr.
to (sincerely) apologize
詫びる
[わびる] **
intr.
to mourn / to lament
to be sorry (about something) / to regret / to repent
悔やむ
[くやむ]
tr.
悔む
[くやむ]
tr.
to be fixed on / to be particular about / to obsess over / to nitpick
拘る
> [こだわる]
intr.
to bear / to carry on one’s back / to take responsibility for / to accept a duty
to be injured / to owe (money)
負う
[おう]
tr.
to heat up / to heat something (e.g. matter – usu. scientific usage)
熱する
[ねっする]
tr.
to follow an example / to purposely resemble / to imitate / to emulate
倣う
[ならう]
intr.
to be worn out / to be exhausted
to wear out / to be battered (from long use, etc.)
くたびれる **
intr.
to suffer a loss / to be forced to part with (money. etc.)
to have wasted one’s time or efforts
損する
[そんする]
to fill-in / to fill-out / to write-in (a form, an entry, etc.)
to post a message (e.g. on a bulletin board, an online forum, etc.)
書き込む
[かきこむ]
tr.
to feel around for / to fumble around for (when searching)
to probe / to explore parts unknown / to enjoy (new) scenery
探る
[さぐる]
tr.
to give somebody a ride
乗せる
[のせる] **
tr.
to be buried (with) / to be covered (by) / to be surrounded
to be overflowing / to be filled up (e.g. a schedule) / to be crowded by (e.g. reservations)
埋まる
[うずまる]
intr.
to ease (something) / to relieve (a pain, etc.) / to soften
和らげる
[やわらげる] **
tr.
to smoke tobacco / to smoke cigarettes
タバコを吸う
[タバコをすう]
tr.
to become tight (when tied, etc.) / to be firm / to be well-knit
締まる
[しまる]
intr.
to feel / to experience (an emotion or sensation)
to hold (a meeting) / to have a dinner or throw a party
催す
[もよおす]
tr.
to call out to / to appeal to (for cooperation) / to urge a group
呼び掛ける
[よびかける]
tr.
to accustom oneself to / to get someone accustomed to (e.g. train one’s ear)
慣らす
[ならす]
tr.
to perceive fully / to understand clearly / to discern
to attain enlightenment
悟る
[さとる]
tr.
to get lost / to be lost (in terms of directions)
道に迷う
[みちにまよう]
intr.
to soften / to ease up / to calm down / to become mitigated
和らぐ
[やわらぐ]
intr.
to expand / to grow big / to become swollen / to be inflated
膨れる
[ふくれる] **
intr.
to scoop up (some water) / to collect / to ladle
汲む
> [くむ]
tr.
to give a discount / to deduct
割り引く
[わりびく]
tr.
to pay in / to submit a deposit
払い込む
[はらいこむ]
tr.
to let (someone or something) go / to allow to escape / to set free
逃がす
[にがす]
tr.
to draw back / to sink in to pull in
to withdraw (e.g. from public view) / to ‘stay out of it’
引っ込む
[ひっこむ]
intr.
to run quickly / to dash / to gallop
駆ける
[かける] **
intr.
to be afraid of / to fear (used in the 3rd person)
怖がる
[こわがる]
intr.
to mingle / to socialize / to have a sexual relationship with
to cross / to intersect (e.g. roads, lines, etc.)
交わる
[まじわる]
intr.
to retrace one’s steps / to turn back (halfway, etc.) / to go back
引き返す
[ひきかえす]
tr.
to look and compare (with the eyes) / to compare by sight
見比べる
[みくらべる] **
tr.
to chase / to run after (in pursuit)
追い掛ける
[おいかける] **
tr.
to bring in / to carry on (luggage, etc.) / to take something into a place
持ち込む
[もちこむ]
tr.
to respond or be in response to (an emotion, etc.) / to live up to (expectations, etc.)
応える
[こたえる] **
intr.
to be prior to / to occur (immediately) before / to take precedence
先立つ
[さきだつ]
intr.
to ride past one’s station
to miss one’s (train or bus) stop
乗り越す
[のりこす]
tr.
乗り過ごす
[のりすごす]
tr.
to drag along / to pull along
to dwell on something
引きずる
[ひきずる]
tr.
to swap something out / to exchange for another
取り替える
[とりかえる] **
tr.
to vacate / to clear out / to make room for / to give up (one’s seat, etc.)
空ける
[あける] **
tr.
to turn one’s head / to turn and look over one’s shoulder
to look back on (the past, etc.) / to reminisce
振り返る
[ふりかえる]
intr.
to banter / to make fun of / to tease / to jeer at
冷やかす
[ひやかす]
tr.
to scatter / to spread all over the place / to disperse
to distract (a person) / to divert (attention from, etc.)
散らす
[ちらす]
tr.
気を散らす
[きをちらす]
tr.
to pay back / to reimburse (someone)
払い戻す
[はらいもどす]
tr.
to turn on the power
to turn off the power
電源を入れる
[でんげんをいれる]
電源を切る
[でんげんをきる]
to grow thickly (with vegetation, etc.) / to be overgrown / to be luxurious
茂る
> [しげる]
intr.
繁る
滋る
to take on / to undertake / to be (now) responsible for
to take a job / to take on a (new) job
引き受ける
[ひきうける] **
tr.
仕事を引き受ける
to become sharp / to taper to a point
to be on edge / to look or be displeased (with something)
尖る
> [とがる]
intr.
to imitate / to mimic
真似る
[まねる] **
tr.
to negate / to deny / to contradict / to drown out (a sound, etc.)
打ち消す
[うちけす]
tr.
to prosper / to thrive / to flourish (e.g. the arts)
栄える
[さかえる] **
intr.
to please / to give pleasure / to make (someone) happy
喜ばす
[よろこばす]
tr.
to come into possession of / to obtain / to get one’s hands on
手に入る
[てにはいる]
intr.
to separate (by distance, time, etc.) / to isolate / partition / to divide
隔てる
[へだてる] **
tr.
to close one’s eyes
つぶる
tr.
to have one’s sights set on / to aspire to / to aim for
志す
[こころざす]
intr.
to throw out / to kick out (e.g. a drunk from a bar)
追い出す
[おいだす]
tr.
to bear fruit (after actions, etc.) / to become
生る
> [なる]
intr.
to sew
縫う
[ぬう]
tr.
to pass (a car) / to overtake (someone in a race, etc.)
追い抜く
[おいぬく]
tr.
to combine together (e.g. two sporting events)
組み合わせる
[くみあわせる] **
tr.
to tell someone’s fortune / to divine
占う
[うらなう]
tr.
to get close to (nature, etc.) / to get familiar with / to be intimate with
親しむ
[したしむ]
intr.
