Special Verbs in Japanese (着る, はく) || Sentence Examples

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Home A2 Special verbs in Japanese

JAPANESE SPECIAL VERBS

Today we are going to learn about some special verbs in Japanese.

But why are they special?

These Japanese verbs are more specific when describing actions than English verbs.

JAPANESE SPECIAL VERBS || INTRODUCTION

In the Japanese language, you’ll encounter nouns that can be used with specific verbs only. Thus, making them special.

There might be several different verbs for the same action in Japanese, even though there is only one verb used for similar actions in English.

One of the examples is the verb “to wear.”

In English we say, “I wear a shirt,” “I wear a hat,” “I wear glasses” and so on.

However, Japanese has different verbs depending on which part of the body it will be worn on.

Sounds difficult? Don’t worry, it becomes easy once you start practicing!

Now, let’s take a look at these special Japanese verbs.

JAPANESE SPECIAL VERBS || “TO WEAR”

着る kiru

“Kiru” is used for putting clothes on the upper body. So, these will include shirts, jackets and so on.

履く haku

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
シャツを着る	Shatsu o kiru.	I wear a shirt.
上着を着る	Uwagi o kiru.	I wear a coat.

“Haku” is used for putting clothes on the legs as well as for putting on footwear. So, these pairs will include pants, socks and so on.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
ズボンを履く	Zubon o haku.	I wear pants.
靴を履く	Kutsu o haku.	I wear shoes.

かぶる kaburu

“Kaburu” is used for putting things on the head. This is what you will use as a verb for wearing a hat.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
帽子をかぶる	Bōshi o kaburu.	I wear a hat.

かける kakeru

“Kakeru” also means “to hang.” It could be used to mean that you hang something.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
めがねをかける	Megane o kakeru.	I wear glasses.
コートをかける	Kōto o kakeru.	I hang the coat.

する suru

“Suru” has various usages. It can be used as “to wear” and can also be used for most sports.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
時計をする	Tokei o suru.	I wear a watch.
トランプをする	Toranpu o suru.	I play cards.
野球をする	Yakyuu o suru.	I play baseball.

つける tsukeru

“Tsukeru” also means “to attach” or “to put on.”

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
イヤリングをつける	Iyaringu o tsukeru.	I wear earrings.
シートベルトをつける	Shiito beruto o tsukeru.	I put on a seat belt.

締める shimeru

“Shimeru” also means “to tie.” So these verb and noun pairs will include a tie, shoe lace and so on.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
ネクタイを締める	Nekutai o shimeru.	I wear a tie.
靴のひもを締める	Kutsu no himo o shimeru.	I tie my shoe laces.

巻く maku

“Maku” can mean “to wrap around.” It could be used for scarves or bandages.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
スカーフを巻く	Sukaafu o maku.	I wear a scarf.
包帯を巻く	Houtai o maku.	To put on bandages.

はめる hameru

“Hameru” can mean “to insert.”

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
手袋をはめる	Tebukuro o hameru.	I wear gloves.
指輪をはめる	Yubiwa o hameru.	I wear rings.

JAPANESE SPECIAL VERBS || TO PLAY

遊ぶ asobu

“Asobu” originally means “to amuse oneself.”

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
おもちゃで遊ぶ	Omocha de asobu.	I play with toys.

弾く hiku

“Hiku” is used to play the musical instrument that requires the manipulation of fingers, that is, for stringed or keyboard instruments.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
ピアノを弾く	Piano o hiku.	I play the piano.
ギターを弾く	Gitaa o hiku.	I play the guitar.

吹く fuku

“Fuku” means “to blow,” and is used to play a musical instrument that requires blowing air.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
笛を吹く	Fue o fuku.	I play the flute.
トランペットを吹く	Toranpetto o fuku.	I play the trumpet.

たたく tataku

“Tataku” means “to hit,” and is used to play musical instruments that require beating or tapping, such as drums.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
太鼓をたたく	Taiko o tataku.	I play the drums.
ドラムをたたく	Doramu o tataku.	I play the drums.

Note that drums in Japanese can be spoken and written in either Kanji or Katakana.

演じる enjiru

“Enjiru” is used to play or perform a character in an act.

EXAMPLE	ROMAJI	ENGLISH
ロミオを演じる｡	Romio o enjiru.	I play the role of Romeo.
重要な役を演じる。	Jyuuyouna yaku o enjiru.	I play an important role.

What we have learned today in this lesson are special pairs of nouns and verbs in Japanese. You’ll have to memorize these pairs to use them correctly, as there is a strong possibility of getting confused and making a mistake.

Even though they’re a bit tricky,
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FAQs

What are Japanese special verbs?

There are nouns that can be used with specific verbs only. Thus, making them special.

There might be several different verbs for same action in Japanese, even though there is only one verb used for similar actions in English.

How many different ways to say “to wear” are there in Japanese?

In this article we cover nine ways to say “to wear” in Japanese: きる、はく、かぶる、かける、まく、しめる、する、つける、and はめる。

Can I study Japanese online with LTL?

Yes! Have a look at our online Japanese courses here.

Why does Japanese have so many different verbs to express one idea in English?

It’s a quirk of language; Japanese is simply more specific about, for example, expressing “to wear a hat” vs. “to wear a coat” vs. “to wear shoes” than English is.

How many ways to say “to play” in Japanese?

In this article we cover five ways to say “to play” in Japanese: あそぶ、ひく、ふく、たたく、and えんじる。

Can I study in Japanese with LTL?

Yes! We offer group and individual courses in Tokyo, Japan.

You’ll even have the opportunity to live with a homestay family, for even more cultural immersion.