How to say "cultivate" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 培うつちかうgodan verb, transitive verbCovers the figurative sense of cultivating something intangible—skills, trust, relationships—by patient effort over time. Typical in contexts like building trust or developing ability through accumulated experience.
- 生やすはやすgodan verb, transitive verbIts core sense is growing something such as hair, a beard, or grass; the 'cultivate' gloss is marginal. For figuratively cultivating skills or trust this is seldom the word you want.
- 修めるおさめるichidan verb, transitive verbCovers cultivating knowledge or ability through study; its core senses are studying a subject and completing a course of study. Typical context: academic study at a school or university.
- 耕すたがやすgodan verb, transitive verbThe literal agricultural sense: to cultivate land by tilling or plowing it. This is the word for fields and soil, the farming sense of 'cultivate'.
- 育むはぐくむgodan verb, transitive verbCovers the nurturing side of 'cultivate': fostering something so it grows and develops, such as talent, feelings, or the young. Typical context: nurturing ability or sensibility with care over time.
Use 「耕す」 for literally tilling soil, 「生やす」 for growing hair or grass, 「培う」 and 「育む」 for figuratively building skills, trust or talent, and 「修める」 for cultivating knowledge through study.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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