Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "持って行く" vs "運ぶ"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
持って行く
もっていく (motte iku)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
運ぶ
はこぶ (hakobu)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 持って行く and 運ぶ are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
持って行く (もっていく (motte iku)) represents "to take (an object)" (Level: N4) and typically represents Specifically for taking objects somewhere. For people/animals, use 連れて行く. 物を自分の手で移動させる。.
On the other hand, 運ぶ (はこぶ (hakobu)) translates to "to carry, to transport" (Level: N4) and is used for Refers to moving items from one place to another, often implying effort or a larger quantity/size than 持って行く. 物を移動させる。. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "持って行く"
お弁当を持って会社に行きます。
I take my bento box to the office.
Bilingual Sentence for "運ぶ"
この大きな荷物を一人で運ぶのは大変だ。
It's hard to carry this large luggage alone.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "お弁当を持って会社に行きます。" (Meaning: "I take my bento box to the office.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "持って行く" fits here because it represents "to take (an object)" in the context: "I take my bento box to the office.".