Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とります" vs "できる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
とります
とります (torimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
できる
できる (dekiru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とります and できる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
とります (とります (torimasu)) represents "to take (a photo, a class, a break, etc.), to grab, to pass (salt)" (Level: N5) and typically represents A versatile verb with multiple meanings depending on the context. Common usages include 写真を撮る.
On the other hand, できる (できる (dekiru)) translates to "to be able to, to be completed, to be made, to be built (intransitive)" (Level: N4) and is used for An intransitive verb with multiple meanings: 'to be able to. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "とります"
写真を撮りましょう。
Let's take a photo.
Bilingual Sentence for "できる"
この家は来月にはできるでしょう。
This house will probably be completed by next month.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "写真を撮りましょう。" (Meaning: "Let's take a photo.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "とります" fits here because it represents "to take (a photo, a class, a break, etc.), to grab, to pass (salt)" in the context: "Let's take a photo.".