How to say "instruct" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 教えるおしえるichidan verb, transitive verbCovers 'instruct' in the sense of teaching: conveying knowledge or showing someone how to do something. The word to reach for when you instruct a person in a skill or fact.
- 言いつけるいいつけるichidan verb, transitive verbCovers 'instruct' meaning to direct or order someone to do something, often someone in authority telling a subordinate what to do. It is about giving directions, not teaching knowledge.
- 含ませるふくませるichidan verb, transitive verbNot a word for 'instruct': it means to soak or saturate something with liquid, or to make someone hold something in their mouth. Seldom what you want when translating 'instruct'.
- 含めるふくめるichidan verb, transitive verbCovers 'instruct' as making someone understand by telling them — explaining what needs to be done or known so that they grasp it, rather than teaching a subject step by step.
- 授けるさずけるichidan verb, transitive verbCovers 'instruct' as imparting knowledge or skills: the emphasis is on handing knowledge over from the one who has it to the one who receives it, rather than on day-to-day teaching.
Choose 「教える」 for teaching or showing someone something, 「言いつける」 for instructing someone to do a task, 「含める」 for making someone understand by explaining, 「授ける」 for imparting knowledge, and avoid 「含ませる」, which is about soaking, not instruction.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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