まいる・参る・詣るmairu[1]atamadaka (head-high)

JLPT N4approx.Common
Definitions
  1. godan verb, intransitive verbto go; to come; to call
    2、3分ぶんしたらそちらにまいります。↗
    I'll be with you in a few minutes.
  2. godan verb, intransitive verbto be defeated; to collapse; to die
    彼かれがあまり熱心ねっしんに言い寄いいよってきたので、その晩ばん彼かれのお相手あいてをした女性じょせいは、とうとう参まいってしまった。↗
    He was so vigorous in making love that his companion for the evening went down for the count.
  3. godan verb, intransitive verbto be annoyed; to be nonplussed
    本当ほんとうに参まいりましたね。↗
    I'm really confused.
  4. godan verb, intransitive verbto be madly in love
    ジョーはその女の子おんなのこにすっかり参まいっている。↗
    Joe's nuts about the girl.
  5. godan verb, intransitive verbto visit (shrine, grave)
Conjugation
Dictionary formまいる
Polite (masu)まいります
Negative (nai)まいらない
polite (masen)まいりません
classical zu / nuまいらず・まいらぬ
Past (ta)まいった
polite (mashita)まいりました
Past negative (nakatta)まいらなかった
polite (masen deshita)まいりませんでした
Te formまいって
Potentialまいれる
Passiveまいられる
Causativeまいらせる
Causative passiveまいらせられる・まいらされる
Conditional (ba)まいれば
taraまいったら
Volitionalまいろう
polite (mashou)まいりましょう
Imperativeまいれ

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • SynonymやってくるCasualPlain, colloquial word for coming over to where the speaker is, with no humble nuance; 「参る」 is the humble way to say 「行く」 or 「来る」 about yourself.
  • SynonymいくNeutralThe everyday word for going, with no honorific colouring; telling a superior you will go, use humble 「参る」, or 「伺う」 when visiting a person or place you respect.
  • Synonym訪れるおとずれるWrittenWritten-style word for visiting a place or for a season arriving, as in 「春が訪れる」; it is not humble language.
  • Related到着とうちゃくNeutralSino-Japanese word for reaching your destination, as in 「到着時刻」; at home in both speech and writing, but carries none of the humility of 「参る」.
  • Relatedたどり着くたどりつくCasualArriving somewhere only after a hard struggle, as in 「山頂にたどり着く」; the emphasis is on how tough the journey was.
  • Related着くつくNeutralThe plain word for arriving, as in 「駅に着く」; no humble nuance.
  • Related参加さんかNeutralJoining an activity or group, as in 「大会に参加する」; the focus is on taking part rather than on going there.
  • Related参列さんれつFormalAttending a ceremony, as in 「葬儀に参列する」; carries a solemn, formal air.
  • Related出向くでむくWrittenWritten-style word for going somewhere of your own accord, as in 「現場に出向く」; stresses going in person.
  • Related列席れっせきFormalFormal word for attending a ceremony or meeting, as in 「式典に列席する」.
  • Related行き着くいきつくWrittenWritten-style word for reaching a final destination or conclusion, as in 「結論に行き着く」.
  • Related参着さんちゃくFormalWritten word for arrival, also a term for bills payable on presentation; not used in daily life, unlike 「参る」.
  • Related顔出しかおだしCasualPutting in a brief appearance to say hello, as in 「会合に顔出しする」; has a casual feel.
  • Related列座れつざFormalWritten word for taking a seat at a gathering; very rare — in everyday speech say 「出席」.
  • Antonym帰るかえるNeutralAntonym of the going sense of 「参る」: it means going back or returning home.
  • Antonym戻るもどるNeutralThe opposite of 「参る」: returning to where you were, as in 「会社に戻る」.

Use 「参る」 to say humbly that you yourself go or come. In plain speech just say 「行く」, 「来る」 or 「やって来る」. For attending a ceremony pick 「参列」 or 「列席」, for joining an activity 「参加」, for visiting 「訪れる」, and for going back 「帰る」.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 「いく」「くる」。参上さんじょうする。
  2. 「いく」「くる」。
  3. 「いく」「くる」の、主おもに武士ぶしが用もちいる古風こふうな表現ひょうげん。
  4. 寺社じしゃに詣もうでる。参詣さんけいする。
  5. 負まける。降参こうさんする。
  6. 死しぬ。くたばる。
  7. へこたれる。疲労困憊ひろうこんぱいする。
  8. 閉口へいこうする。よわる。困惑こんわくする。やられる。翻弄ほんろうされる。
  9. 魅惑みわくされる。のぼせる。めろめろになる。
  10. (補助ほじょ動詞どうし)「いく」「くる」の謙譲語けんじょうご。
  11. (補助ほじょ動詞どうし)「いく」「くる」の丁重ていちょうな表現ひょうげん。
  12. (補助ほじょ動詞どうし)「いく」「くる」の古風こふうな表現ひょうげん。
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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