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Quintuple VS

Synonym Boundary: "作ります", "作る", "汚す", "努力する", "間に合わせる"

All represent the core concept "make", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

作ります

つくります (tsukurimasu)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

作る

つくる (tsukuru)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

汚す

よごす (yogosu)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

努力する

どりょくする (doryoku suru)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option E

間に合わせる

まにあわせる (maniawaseru)
N4 / CEFR

Quintuple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "make" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "作ります", "作る", "汚す", "努力する", "間に合わせる" based on context.
  • 作ります (つくります (tsukurimasu) - Level: N5): Maps to "to make, to produce" and is used when Polite form of 作る. Used for making things, cooking food, or creating..
  • 作る (つくる (tsukuru) - Level: N5): Maps to "to make, to produce" and is used when Used for creating physical objects, food, plans, etc. 「作ります」is the polite form..
  • 汚す (よごす (yogosu) - Level: N4): Maps to "to make dirty (transitive)" and is used when Used when someone *makes* something dirty. It emphasizes the action of an agent causing something to become dirty.
  • 努力する (どりょくする (doryoku suru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to make an effort, to strive, to endeavor" and is used when To put in conscious effort and hard work towards a goal, emphasizing persistence and dedication. Often used for achieving difficult objectives like passing an exam or mastering a skill..
  • 間に合わせる (まにあわせる (maniawaseru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to make something in time, to make do with, to manage with, to complete by a deadline" and is used when 決められた期限までに何かを完成させる、または、理想的ではないが一時的に代替品で用事を済ませる、という意味で使われます。.
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
Context for "作ります"
ケーキを作ります。
I make a cake.
Context for "作る"
晩ごはんを作ります。
I will make dinner.
Context for "汚す"
彼はシャツにインクをこぼして汚してしまいました。
He spilled ink on his shirt and made it dirty.
Context for "努力する"
夢を叶えるために、毎日努力しています。
I make an effort every day to achieve my dream.
Context for "間に合わせる"
レポートを締め切りに間に合わせる。
To finish the report by the deadline.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "ケーキを ___ 。" (Meaning: "I make a cake.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "作ります" is correct here because it represents "to make, to produce" in the context: "I make a cake.".

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