Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Make" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "make", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
かける
かける (kakeru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
軽んじる
かろんじる (karonjiru)
N2 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "make" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between かける and 軽んじる.
In Japanese, かける (かける (kakeru)) is typically associated with "to make a phone call; to hang; to wear (glasses)" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents This verb has multiple meanings. For N5, common usages include 「電話をかける」.
On the other hand, 軽んじる (かろんじる (karonjiru)) maps to "to make light of, to belittle, to disdain, to disregard" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents To treat something or someone as unimportant or trivial; often used for disrespecting rules, advice, feelings, or established norms. Similar to 侮る but focuses more on treating something as insignificant.. A literal translation of "make" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "かける"
友達に電話をかけます。
I will make a phone call to my friend.
Bilingual Context for "軽んじる"
彼の忠告を軽んじた結果、大きな失敗をしてしまった。
As a result of making light of his advice, I made a big mistake.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "友達に電話をかけます。" (Meaning: "I will make a phone call to my friend.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "かける" fits here because it means "to make a phone call; to hang; to wear (glasses)" in the context of: "I will make a phone call to my friend.". "軽んじる" represents "to make light of, to belittle, to disdain, to disregard".