Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Take" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "take", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
かかる
かかる (kakaru)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
染筆する
せんぴつする (senpitsu suru)
C2 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "take" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between かかる and 染筆する.
In Japanese, かかる (かかる (kakaru)) is typically associated with "to take (time/money), to hang (intransitive), to catch (a cold)" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Intransitive verb. For N5, most commonly used to express how much time or money is required for something. e.g., 時間がかかる.
On the other hand, 染筆する (せんぴつする (senpitsu suru)) maps to "to take up the brush / to write" (Syllabus Level: C2) and represents Essential structural term in CEFR C2 vocabulary syllabus.. A literal translation of "take" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "かかる"
東京まで３時間かかります。
It takes 3 hours to get to Tokyo.
Bilingual Context for "染筆する"
毎日、日本語を練習するために染筆する。
Every day, I take up the brush / to write to practice Japanese.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "東京まで３時間かかります。" (Meaning: "It takes 3 hours to get to Tokyo.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "かかる" fits here because it means "to take (time/money), to hang (intransitive), to catch (a cold)" in the context of: "It takes 3 hours to get to Tokyo.". "染筆する" represents "to take up the brush / to write".