🦅 Project Eagle
Synonym Nuance VS

How to say "Take" in Japanese

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

Japanese Option A

もっていく

もっていく (motte iku)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B

頭が下がる

あたまがさがる (atamagasagaru)
C1 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference

When translating "take" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between もっていく and 頭が下がる. In Japanese, もっていく (もっていく (motte iku)) is typically associated with "to take (something somewhere)" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Implies moving an object away from the current location towards another. '持っていく. On the other hand, 頭が下がる (あたまがさがる (atamagasagaru)) maps to "to take one's hat off to" (Syllabus Level: C1) and represents Essential structural term in CEFR C1 vocabulary syllabus.. A literal translation of "take" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "もっていく"
明日、傘を持っていくのを忘れないでください。
Please don't forget to take your umbrella tomorrow.
Bilingual Context for "頭が下がる"
毎日、日本語を練習するために頭が下がる。
Every day, I take one's hat off to to practice Japanese.

Nuance Mastery Quiz

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "明日、傘を持っていくのを忘れないでください。" (Meaning: "Please don't forget to take your umbrella tomorrow.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "もっていく" fits here because it means "to take (something somewhere)" in the context of: "Please don't forget to take your umbrella tomorrow.". "頭が下がる" represents "to take one's hat off to".