Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "しります" vs "掛ける"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
しります
しります (shirimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
掛ける
かける (kakeru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both しります and 掛ける are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
しります (しります (shirimasu)) represents "to know" (Level: N5) and typically represents The polite form of 知る.
On the other hand, 掛ける (かける (kakeru)) translates to "to hang, to put on (glasses), to make (a call)" (Level: N4) and is used for A versatile verb with many uses. Common meanings include 'to wear'. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "しります"
彼の名前をよくしりません。
I don't know his name well.
Bilingual Sentence for "掛ける"
毎日、眼鏡を掛けて新聞を読みます。
Every day, I put on my glasses and read the newspaper.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "彼の名前をよくしりません。" (Meaning: "I don't know his name well.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "しります" fits here because it represents "to know" in the context: "I don't know his name well.".