Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "とります" vs "答え"
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
答え
こたえ (kotae)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both とります and 答え 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, 答え (こたえ (kotae)) translates to "answer" (Level: N4) and is used for The solution to a question or problem. The verb is 答える. 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 "答え"
彼の答えはいつも正しいです。
His answer is always correct.
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.".