Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "つけます" vs "もっていく"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
つけます
つけます (tsukemasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
もっていく
もっていく (motte iku)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both つけます and もっていく are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
つけます (つけます (tsukemasu)) represents "to turn on (a light, power, etc.)" (Level: N5) and typically represents Transitive verb. Used for switching on electrical appliances, lights, etc. The object is marked with を..
On the other hand, もっていく (もっていく (motte iku)) translates to "to take (something somewhere)" (Level: N5) and is used for Implies moving an object away from the current location towards another. '持っていく. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "つけます"
テレビをつけます。
I turn on the TV.
Bilingual Sentence for "もっていく"
明日、傘を持っていくのを忘れないでください。
Please don't forget to take your umbrella tomorrow.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "テレビを ___ 。" (Meaning: "I turn on the TV.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "つけます" fits here because it represents "to turn on (a light, power, etc.)" in the context: "I turn on the TV.".