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Synonym Nuance VS

How to say "Make" in Japanese

Both words can translate to "make", but which should you choose?

Japanese Option A

さわぐ

さわぐ (sawagu)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B

埋め合わせる

うめあわせる (umeawaseru)
N2 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference

When translating "make" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between さわぐ and 埋め合わせる. In Japanese, さわぐ (さわぐ (sawagu)) is typically associated with "to make noise, to be boisterous, to make a fuss" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to making loud noise or creating a disturbance. Often implies inappropriate or excessive noise.. On the other hand, 埋め合わせる (うめあわせる (umeawaseru)) maps to "to make up for; to compensate for; to make amends" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents 損失や不足、過ちなどに対して、何かをして帳消しにする、または等価なものを提供する状況で使う。Used when doing something to cancel out a loss, deficiency, or mistake, or providing something equivalent.. A literal translation of "make" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "さわぐ"
図書館で騒いではいけません。
You must not make noise in the library.
Bilingual Context for "埋め合わせる"
昨日の遅刻を埋め合わせるために、今日は早く出社した。
To make up for being late yesterday, I came to work early today.

Nuance Mastery Quiz

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "図書館で騒いではいけません。" (Meaning: "You must not make noise in the library.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "さわぐ" fits here because it means "to make noise, to be boisterous, to make a fuss" in the context of: "You must not make noise in the library.". "埋め合わせる" represents "to make up for; to compensate for; to make amends".

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