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Definition 2024


考える

考える

Japanese

Kanji in this term
かんが(える)
Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Alternative forms

  • 勘える (less common)

Verb

考える (transitive, ichidan conjugation, hiragana かんがえる, romaji kangaeru, historical hiragana かんがへる)

  1. think
    これについて (かんが)える必要 (ひつよう)があるんだ。
    Kore ni tsuite kangaeru hitsuyō ga aru n da.
    I need to think about this.
  2. meditate
  3. consider
    ここに () (ひと)のことも (かんが)えて、 () ()しの (とき)綺麗 (きれい)掃除 (そうじ)をする。
    Koko ni sumu hito no koto mo kangaete, hikkoshi no toki wa kirei ni sōji o suru.
    Out of consideration for the people who will live here next, I will clean thoroughly when I move.
  4. reflect
     (わたし)がしたことについて (かんが)えなければならない。
    Watashi ga shita koto ni tsuite kangaenakereba naranai.
    I must reflect on what I have done.
  5. prepare
    停電 (ていでん) (とき)のことも (かんが)えてある。
    Teiden no toki no koto mo kangaete aru.
    I am prepared for electric power failures.
  6. make up one's mind
  7. expect
     (かんが)えられないような失敗 (しっぱい) ()きた。
    Kangaerarenai yō na shippai ga okita.
    A failure that I had not expected has happened.
  8. imagine
     ()んだ (あと)のことは (だれ)にも (かんが)えられない。
    Shinda ato no koto wa dare ni mo kangaerarenai.
    No one can imagine what will happen after death.
  9. contrive

Conjugation

Derived terms

Synonyms

Usage notes

While both 考える (kangaeru) and 思う (omou) can be used to mean to think, kangaeru implies more analytic and objective thought, whereas omou may include more emotional and subjective overtones.

References

  1. 1 2 1988, 国語大辞典(新装版) (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
  2. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
  3. 1 2 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, ISBN 978-4-14-011112-3
  4. 1 2 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13143-0
  • 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, ISBN 4095102535.