What is the difference between "進める" and "奨める"?

"進める" means "to advance, to promote, to push forward (transitive)" (N4), whereas "奨める" represents "to recommend, to advise, to encourage" (N3).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "すすめる (susumeru)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

すすめる (susumeru)

N4 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

すすめる (susumeru)

N3 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "すすめる (susumeru)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

進める (Level: N4): Translates to "to advance, to promote, to push forward (transitive)" and is used when Used when someone or something causes an action to move forward, like advancing a plan or promoting a person..
奨める (Level: N3): Maps to "to recommend, to advise, to encourage" and carries the nuance of Often used when recommending a product, book, or advising someone to do something..

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "進める"

会議の時間を1時間早めて進めましょう。

Let's move the meeting time forward by an hour.

Bilingual Context for "奨める"

先生は私にもっと勉強するように奨めました。

The teacher advised me to study more.

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "会議の時間を1時間早めて進めましょう。" (Meaning: "Let's move the meeting time forward by an hour.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "進める" is used for "to advance, to promote, to push forward (transitive)" in the context: "Let's move the meeting time forward by an hour.".