Quadruple VS
Synonym Boundary: "世話する", "侮る", "見渡す", "見返す"
All represent the core concept "look", but require precise selection.
Japanese Option A
世話する
せわする (sewa suru)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option B
侮る
あなどる (anadoru)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option C
見渡す
みわたす (miwatasu)
N2 / CEFR
Japanese Option D
見返す
みかえす (mikaesu)
N2 / CEFR
Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
When expressing "look" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "世話する", "侮る", "見渡す", "見返す" based on context.
- 世話する (せわする (sewa suru) - Level: N3): Maps to "to look after; to take care of; to attend to; to look out for" and is used when Refers to looking after someone.
- 侮る (あなどる (anadoru) - Level: N3): Maps to "look down on; underestimate; mock; make light of" and is used when Refers to looking down on someone, underestimating their ability, mocking, or making light of a situation/enemy. Often used as 侮れない.
- 見渡す (みわたす (miwatasu) - Level: N2): Maps to "to look out over, to survey (a scene), to gaze across" and is used when 高い場所から広い範囲全体に目をやって景色や状況を眺めることを指します。.
- 見返す (みかえす (mikaesu) - Level: N2): Maps to "to look back at; to give someone a look back; to get revenge/prove oneself right (often after being looked down upon)" and is used when Can mean to look back at something or someone, or more often, to prove one's worth or get back at someone who underestimated you through success..
Context for "世話する"
オフィスの休憩エリアをスマートに緑化するため、彼は週末にも自動給水センサーと連携して植物をスマートに_______ました。
In order to smartly greenify the office break area, he smartly took care of the plants in coordination with the automatic watering sensor even on weekends.
Context for "侮る"
対戦相手のチームを_______ていたせいで、思わぬ大敗を喫してしまいました。
Because we underestimated the opponent team, we suffered an unexpected major defeat.
Context for "見渡す"
山の頂上から街全体を見渡した。
I looked out over the entire city from the mountaintop.
Context for "見返す"
彼は自分を馬鹿にした人たちを見返すために、一生懸命努力した。
He worked hard to prove himself to those who had made fun of him.
Synonym Mastery Challenge
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "オフィスの休憩エリアをスマートに緑化するため、彼は週末にも自動給水センサーと連携して植物をスマートに_______ました。" (Meaning: "In order to smartly greenify the office break area, he smartly took care of the plants in coordination with the automatic watering sensor even on weekends.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "世話する" is correct here because it represents "to look after; to take care of; to attend to; to look out for" in the context: "In order to smartly greenify the office break area, he smartly took care of the plants in coordination with the automatic watering sensor even on weekends.".