Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "開けます" vs "おわる"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
開けます
あけます (akemasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
おわる
おわる (owaru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 開けます and おわる are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
開けます (あけます (akemasu)) represents "to open" (Level: N5) and typically represents Transitive verb. Used for opening doors, windows, books, shops, eyes, etc. The object is marked with を..
On the other hand, おわる (おわる (owaru)) translates to "to finish, to end (intransitive)" (Level: N5) and is used for Intransitive verb. Something finishes by itself. The transitive form is 「終える. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "開けます"
窓を開けます。
I open the window.
Bilingual Sentence for "おわる"
会議は5時に終わります。
The meeting ends at 5 o'clock.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "窓を ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "I open the window.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "開けます" fits here because it represents "to open" in the context: "I open the window.".