What is the difference between "立ちます", "たつ", "踏みとどまる", "際立つ", "立ち上がる"?

"立ちます" means "to stand", "たつ" means "to stand", "踏みとどまる" means "to stand one's ground, to hold one's position, to stop short, to persevere", "際立つ" means "to stand out; to be prominent; to be striking", "立ち上がる" means "to stand up".

Quintuple VS

Synonym Boundary: "立ちます", "たつ", "踏みとどまる", "際立つ", "立ち上がる"

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

Japanese Option A

立ちます

たちます (tachimasu)

N5 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

たつ

たつ (tatsu)

N5 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

踏みとどまる

ふみとどまる (fumitodomaru)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

際立つ

きわだつ (kiwadatsu)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option E

立ち上がる

たちあがる (tachiagaru)

B2 / CEFR

Quintuple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "stand" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "立ちます", "たつ", "踏みとどまる", "際立つ", "立ち上がる" based on context.

立ちます (たちます (tachimasu) - Level: N5): Maps to "to stand" and is used when Polite form of 立つ. Used to express the action of standing up..
たつ (たつ (tatsu) - Level: N5): Maps to "to stand" and is used when Used for changing from a sitting/lying position to a standing one, or to be in a standing position..
踏みとどまる (ふみとどまる (fumitodomaru) - Level: N2): Maps to "to stand one's ground, to hold one's position, to stop short, to persevere" and is used when Implies resisting pressure to move, change, or give up, often in a difficult or challenging situation. Can be used literally.
際立つ (きわだつ (kiwadatsu) - Level: N2): Maps to "to stand out; to be prominent; to be striking" and is used when 他のものより特に目立つ、ひときわ目を引くときに使う。「特徴」や「才能」などが際立つというように使われます。.
立ち上がる (たちあがる (tachiagaru) - Level: B2): Maps to "to stand up" and is used when Essential structural term in CEFR B2 vocabulary syllabus..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!

Context for "立ちます"

ここに立ってください。

Please stand here.

Context for "たつ"

そこで立ってください。

Please stand there.

Context for "踏みとどまる"

彼は困難な状況でも、自分の信念を曲げずに踏みとどまった。

He stood his ground without compromising his beliefs, even in difficult circumstances.

Context for "際立つ"

彼の才能はチームの中でも際立っている。

His talent stands out even within the team.

Context for "立ち上がる"

毎日、日本語を練習するために立ち上がる。

Every day, I stand up to practice Japanese.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "ここに立ってください。" (Meaning: "Please stand here.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "立ちます" is correct here because it represents "to stand" in the context: "Please stand here.".