Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "探します" vs "もっていく"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
探します
さがします (sagashimasu)
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 探します and もっていく are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
探します (さがします (sagashimasu)) represents "to look for, to search for" (Level: N5) and typically represents Verb, polite form. Used when trying to find something lost or someone. The dictionary form is 探す.
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 "探します"
鍵をどこかに探しています。
I'm looking for my keys somewhere.
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: "鍵をどこかに探しています。" (Meaning: "I'm looking for my keys somewhere.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "探します" fits here because it represents "to look for, to search for" in the context: "I'm looking for my keys somewhere.".