Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Make" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "make", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
埋め合わせる
うめあわせる (umeawaseru)
N2 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
火に油を注ぐ
ひにあぶらをそそぐ (hiniaburawososogu)
C1 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "make" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 埋め合わせる and 火に油を注ぐ.
In Japanese, 埋め合わせる (うめあわせる (umeawaseru)) is typically associated with "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..
On the other hand, 火に油を注ぐ (ひにあぶらをそそぐ (hiniaburawososogu)) maps to "to make things worse" (Syllabus Level: C1) and represents Essential structural term in CEFR C1 vocabulary syllabus.. A literal translation of "make" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
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.
Bilingual Context for "火に油を注ぐ"
毎日、日本語を練習するために火に油を注ぐ。
Every day, I make things worse to practice Japanese.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "昨日の遅刻を ＿＿＿ ために、今日は早く出社した。" (Meaning: "To make up for being late yesterday, I came to work early today.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "埋め合わせる" fits here because it means "to make up for; to compensate for; to make amends" in the context of: "To make up for being late yesterday, I came to work early today.". "火に油を注ぐ" represents "to make things worse".