Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Look" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "look", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
調べる
しらべる (shiraberu)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
世話する
せわする (sewa suru)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "look" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 調べる and 世話する.
In Japanese, 調べる (しらべる (shiraberu)) is typically associated with "to look up; to check; to investigate" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents Used for looking up information.
On the other hand, 世話する (せわする (sewa suru)) maps to "to look after; to take care of; to attend to; to look out for" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to looking after someone. A literal translation of "look" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "調べる"
辞書で言葉の意味を調べました。
I looked up the meaning of the word in the dictionary.
Bilingual Context for "世話する"
オフィスの休憩エリアをスマートに緑化するため、彼は週末にも自動給水センサーと連携して植物をスマートに_______ました。
In order to smartly greenify the office break area, he smartly took care of the plants in coordination with the automatic watering sensor even on weekends.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "辞書で言葉の意味を調べました。" (Meaning: "I looked up the meaning of the word in the dictionary.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "調べる" fits here because it means "to look up; to check; to investigate" in the context of: "I looked up the meaning of the word in the dictionary.". "世話する" represents "to look after; to take care of; to attend to; to look out for".