How to say "engage" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 迎え撃つむかえうつgodan verb, transitive verbCovers 'engage' in the military sense of meeting an approaching enemy and attacking. It pictures the defender turning to confront or intercept the force coming toward it, so it suits battle or interception contexts, not everyday 'engage' uses.
- 召し抱えるめしかかえるichidan verb, transitive verbMatches the old 'engage' sense of taking someone into one's service, glossed as employing a retainer. For most hiring situations it is seldom the word you want; think of a lord or employer formally engaging a person as part of a household or staff.
- 雇い入れるやといいれるichidan verb, transitive verbCovers 'engage' in the sense of employing or hiring someone. It is a fairly plain way to say a company or individual takes on a worker, and for most 'engage = employ' sentences this is the natural choice among the hiring options.
- no-adjectiveA loanword matching 'engage' only in technical usage, as in an engaged angle in machining or engineering. It is marginal for general English 'engage' and belongs to specialized technical writing rather than ordinary prose.
- かみ合わせるかみあわせるichidan verb, transitive verbCovers 'engage' in the mechanical sense of meshing parts, glossed specifically for gears. Use it when two components come together so their teeth or projections interlock; it does not apply to the social, employment, or combat senses of 'engage'.
For 'engage' meaning fight an approaching enemy use 「迎え撃つ」; for hiring, 「召し抱える」 or 「雇い入れる」; for mechanical meshing use 「かみ合わせる」; 「エンゲージ」 covers only technical 'engage (an angle)'.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
