🦅 Project Eagle
Synonym Comparison

The Nuance Difference: "消します" vs "送ります"

Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.

Japanese Term A

消します

けします (keshimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B

送ります

おくります (okurimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

In Japanese, both 消します and 送ります are often translated to English but have distinct usages. 消します (けします (keshimasu)) represents "to turn off, to erase" (Level: N5) and typically represents Transitive verb. Used for switching off electrical appliances or erasing something. On the other hand, 送ります (おくります (okurimasu)) translates to "to send, to escort" (Level: N5) and is used for Polite form of 送る. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "消します"
電灯を消します。
I turn off the light.
Bilingual Sentence for "送ります"
友達にメールを送ります。
I send an email to my friend.

Nuance Mastery Quiz

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "電灯を ___ 。" (Meaning: "I turn off the light.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "消します" fits here because it represents "to turn off, to erase" in the context: "I turn off the light.".