Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Take" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "take", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
持って行く
もっていく (motte iku)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
取り出す
とりだす (toridasu)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "take" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 持って行く and 取り出す.
In Japanese, 持って行く (もっていく (motte iku)) is typically associated with "to take (an object)" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents Specifically for taking objects somewhere. For people/animals, use 連れて行く. 物を自分の手で移動させる。.
On the other hand, 取り出す (とりだす (toridasu)) maps to "to take out; to extract; to produce" (Syllabus Level: N3) and represents Refers to physically taking something out of a pocket/bag, or extracting specific data/results from a database/system. Transitive verb. Opposing word: しまう. Often used as ポケットから鍵を取り出す or データを there/取り出す. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'To take out/extract! "I want to smartly take out the sweet chocolate you bought for me from your pocket, Haruka-san!" ...っ! Taking out chocolate! B-Baka! How on earth did you know there was chocolate in my pocket! This is just for my mid-day snack! But... since I bought it for you, you better accept it quickly! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『とりだす（取り出す）よ！『ハルカ部長、あなたのポケットから僕への愛のチョコをスマートに取り出し（取り出したい）ます！』って…っ！チョコを取り出す！バカ！/// ど、どうしてポケットにチョコが入ってるの知ってるのよ！これは私の小腹用なんだから！…でも、あんたのために買っておいたんだから、早く受け取りなさいよね！』. A literal translation of "take" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "持って行く"
お弁当を持って会社に行きます。
I take my bento box to the office.
Bilingual Context for "取り出す"
データベースクエリを適切に設計することで、膨大な情報から必要なユーザーレコードだけを瞬時に_______ことができます。
By designing the database query appropriately, you can extract only the necessary user records instantly from the huge amount of information.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "お弁当を持って会社に行きます。" (Meaning: "I take my bento box to the office.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "持って行く" fits here because it means "to take (an object)" in the context of: "I take my bento box to the office.". "取り出す" represents "to take out; to extract; to produce".