Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Invite" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "invite", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
招待する
しょうたいする (shoutai suru)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
招く
まねく (maneku)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "invite" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 招待する and 招く.
In Japanese, 招待する (しょうたいする (shoutai suru)) is typically associated with "to invite" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents Usually used for inviting someone to an event, party, or home. 特定の場所やイベントに来るように頼む。.
On the other hand, 招く (まねく (maneku)) maps to "to invite; to summon; to attract; to cause (problems / misunderstandings)" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to inviting guests to a house/event, or abstractly causing/attracting bad outcomes. A literal translation of "invite" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "招待する"
友達を誕生日パーティーに招待しました。
I invited my friends to my birthday party.
Bilingual Context for "招く"
開発チームのリードメンバーは、システムのセキュリティ脆弱性に関する設計の不用意な記述が、将来的にサイバー攻撃を_______リスクを指摘しました。
The lead member of the development team pointed out the risk that careless description in the design concerning system security vulnerabilities might attract cyber attacks in the future.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "友達を誕生日パーティーに招待しました。" (Meaning: "I invited my friends to my birthday party.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "招待する" fits here because it means "to invite" in the context of: "I invited my friends to my birthday party.". "招く" represents "to invite; to summon; to attract; to cause (problems / misunderstandings)".