How to say "exclude" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 省くはぶくgodan verb, transitive verbTo omit or leave something out because it is unnecessary or to be saved, such as effort, trouble, or a step in a process; the exclusion is a matter of sparing or streamlining.
- 締め出すしめだすgodan verb, transitive verbTo shut someone out physically or socially — barring a person from a place, locking them out, or excluding them from a group. The strongest and most forceful choice, with a nuance of rejection.
- 外すはずすgodan verb, transitive verbTo drop or remove someone or something from a membership, position, or lineup; it covers excluding a person from a team or taking them out of a role.
- 除くのぞくgodan verb, transitive verbThe usual word for excluding or excepting an item from a set or count — 'excluding tax', 'everyone except him'. It marks something as outside a stated scope.
- ichidan verb, transitive verbPrimarily to remove or take something away, with 'exclude' only a secondary gloss; for the exclusion sense of 'exclude' it is usually not the word you want — prefer 除く.
Choose 「除く」 for leaving something out of a set, 「省く」 for omitting as unnecessary, 「外す」 for dropping a person from a team or post, 「締め出す」 for forcibly shutting someone out, and 「のける」 for removing something away.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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