Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "終わります" vs "しります"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
終わります
おわります (owarimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
しります
しります (shirimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 終わります and しります are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
終わります (おわります (owarimasu)) represents "to finish, to end" (Level: N5) and typically represents Intransitive verb. Used for events, tasks, or time periods coming to an end. Often paired with が..
On the other hand, しります (しります (shirimasu)) translates to "to know" (Level: N5) and is used for The polite form of 知る. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "終わります"
授業は3時に終わります。
The class finishes at 3 o'clock.
Bilingual Sentence for "しります"
彼の名前をよくしりません。
I don't know his name well.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "授業は3時に ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "The class finishes at 3 o'clock.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "終わります" fits here because it represents "to finish, to end" in the context: "The class finishes at 3 o'clock.".