かまう・構うkamau[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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- godan verb, intransitive verbto mind; to care about; to be concerned about; to have a regard for
- godan verb, intransitive verbto be an issue; to matter; to create inconvenience
- godan verb, transitive verbto keep company; to care for; to look after; to entertain; to pay attention to; to spend time with
- godan verb, intransitive verbto interfere with; to meddle inどうか私にかまわないでください。↗Please don't mind me.
- godan verb, transitive verbto tease
- godan verb, transitive verbto banish; to prohibit
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | かまう |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | かまいます |
| Negative (nai) | かまわない |
| polite (masen) | かまいません |
| classical zu / nu | かまわず・かまわぬ |
| Past (ta) | かまった |
| polite (mashita) | かまいました |
| Past negative (nakatta) | かまわなかった |
| polite (masen deshita) | かまいませんでした |
| Te form | かまって |
| Potential | かまえる |
| Passive | かまわれる |
| Causative | かまわせる |
| Causative passive | かまわせられる・かまわされる |
| Conditional (ba) | かまえば |
| tara | かまったら |
| Volitional | かまおう |
| polite (mashou) | かまいましょう |
| Imperative | かまえ |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Synonym意に介するいにかいするWrittenWritten/formal prose. Usually in the negative 「意に介さない」, meaning not to care at all — more literary than 「構わない」.
- Related心配しんぱいNeutralNeutral. Worrying about something, e.g. 「将来を心配する」; it stresses anxiety, while 「構う」 stresses minding or taking notice.
- Related留意りゅういWrittenWritten/formal prose. Paying close attention, e.g. 「健康に留意する」; often used in reminders and public notices.
- Related心するこころするWrittenWritten/formal prose. Being attentive and careful, e.g. 「心して聞け」; carries a solemn, admonishing tone.
- Antonym無視するNeutralNeutral. Ignoring or paying no heed, e.g. 「意見を無視する」; the opposite of 「構う」 in its sense of taking notice.
- Antonym放置するNeutralNeutral. Leaving something unattended, e.g. 「自転車を放置する」; the opposite of 「構う」 in its caretaking sense.
「構う」 is mostly used in the negative — 「構わない」 ('it doesn't matter'), 「気にしないで構わない」 — and also means to take notice of or fuss over, as in 「子どもを構う」. To mind something say 「気にする」, to look after someone 「世話をする」; to ignore is 「無視する」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


