Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Turn" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "turn", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
けす
けす (kesu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
そらす
そらす (sorasu)
N2 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "turn" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between けす and そらす.
In Japanese, けす (けす (kesu)) is typically associated with "to turn off, to erase, to extinguish" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Transitive verb. The opposite of つける.
On the other hand, そらす (そらす (sorasu)) maps to "to turn away (one's eyes, gaze, attention); to avert; to evade (a question)" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents A transitive verb implying a deliberate action to change the direction of something, most commonly one's gaze. A literal translation of "turn" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "けす"
電気を消してください。
Please turn off the light.
Bilingual Context for "そらす"
彼は私から目をそらしたが、何も言わなかった。
He averted his eyes from me, but said nothing.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "電気を消してください。" (Meaning: "Please turn off the light.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "けす" fits here because it means "to turn off, to erase, to extinguish" in the context of: "Please turn off the light.". "そらす" represents "to turn away (one's eyes, gaze, attention); to avert; to evade (a question)".