Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "売ります" vs "直す"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
売ります
うります (urimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
直す
なおす (naosu)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 売ります and 直す are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
売ります (うります (urimasu)) represents "to sell" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 売る.
On the other hand, 直す (なおす (naosu)) translates to "to fix, to repair; to correct" (Level: N4) and is used for Transitive verb. Used for repairing broken items, correcting mistakes, or changing something to a proper state. 悪い状態を良い状態に戻す。. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "売ります"
この店は古い本を売っています。
This store sells old books.
Bilingual Sentence for "直す"
壊れた自転車を自分で直しました。
I fixed the broken bicycle myself.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "この店は古い本を売っています。" (Meaning: "This store sells old books.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "売ります" fits here because it represents "to sell" in the context: "This store sells old books.".