使う

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
使
つか
Grade: 3
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
遣う

Pronunciation

  • Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 「使う
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Terminal (終止形)
Attributive (連体形)
使う かう
Imperative (命令形) 使え かえ
Key constructions
Passive 使われる かわれる
Causative 使わせる かわせる
Potential 使える かえる
Volitional 使おう かお
Negative 使わない かわない
Negative perfective 使わなかった かわなかった
Formal 使います かいま
Perfective 使った かった
Conjunctive 使って かって
Hypothetical conditional 使えば かえ

Verb

使(つか) (tsukauつかふ (tukafu)?transitive godan (stem 使(つか) (tsukai), past 使(つか)った (tsukatta))

Japanese verb pair
active 使う
mediopassive 仕える
  1. to use
    • 1933, 三木清, 書物の倫理:
      (ほん)道具(どうぐ)(おな)じように使(つか)べきものであるからである。
      Hon wa dōgu to onaji yō ni tsukau-beki mono de aru kara de aru.
      So a book should be used in the same manner as a tool.
  2. to employ
    • 1915, 夏目漱石, 硝子戸の中:
      (わたし)はその(とき)まだ看護婦(かんごふ)使(つか)っていたのである。
      Watashi wa sono toki mada kangofu o tsukatte ita no de aru.
      I was still employing a nurse at that time.
  3. to make use of, to apply
    • 1908, 徳田秋声, 新世帯:
      帳合(ちょうあ)いや、三度三度(さんどさんど)(めし)も、自分(じぶん)()(あたま)とを使(つか)なければならなかった。
      Chōai ya, sandosando no meshi mo, jibun no te to atama to o tsukawanakereba naranakatta.
      I had to use my head and hands for my budget, my three meals a day, and so on.
  4. 遣う: to spend
    • 1911, 森鴎外, 雁:
      馬鹿(ばか)(せん)使(つか)ってはならないぞ。
      Baka na sen o tsukatte wa naranai zo.
      Don't spend money on stupid things!
    • 1929, 佐左木俊郎, 熊の出る開墾地:
      手続(てつづ)きに使(つか)った(かね)ぐらい()しますよ。
      “Tetsuzuki ni tsukatta kane-gurai dashimasu yo.
      I'll at least give you the money you spent on the procedure.

Conjugation

See also

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN