How to say "forge" in Japanese

• 鍛えるきたえるJLPT N1approx.Common
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers the metalworking sense: to forge and temper metal by heating and hammering it. It is not used for faking documents; figuratively it means to train or discipline the body or mind.
  彼かれは鋼はがねを鍛きたえて刀かたなを作つくった。↗

  He forged the steel into a sword.
• 似せるにせるCommon
  ichidan verb, transitive verbCovers the fraud sense of 'forge': making a fake that imitates the original, as in counterfeiting documents or signatures. Its core meaning is to make one thing resemble another, with no link to metalwork.

Use 「鍛える」 for the metalworking sense of 'forge' (heating and tempering metal) and 「似せる」 for the fraud sense of producing a fake that imitates an original.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 鍛えるきたえるto forge
• 似せるにせるto copy
• フォージforge
• 鍛冶場かじばblacksmith's workshop
• 模するもするto trace
• 模すもすto trace