呼ぶ・喚ぶ|よぶyobu[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
呼ぶ呼ぶ is the most common written form and the recommended choice for learners. Use it for the senses covered by this entry, including calling out or summoning.
喚ぶ喚ぶ is a rarely used written form, so learners will seldom see it. Use 呼ぶ instead when writing the word.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto call out (to); to call; to invokeあなたが呼べば、彼は来るでしょう。↗He will come if you call him.
- godan verb, transitive verbto summon (a doctor, etc.)
- godan verb, transitive verbto invite
- godan verb, transitive verbto designate; to name; to brandあなたをケパと呼ぶことにします。↗You will be called Cephas.
- godan verb, transitive verbto garner (support, etc.); to gather
- godan verb, transitive verbto take as one's wife
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 呼ぶ（よぶ） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 呼びます（よびます） |
| Negative (nai) | 呼ばない（よばない） |
| polite (masen) | 呼びません（よびません） |
| classical zu / nu | 呼ばず・呼ばぬ（よばず・よばぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 呼んだ（よんだ） |
| polite (mashita) | 呼びました（よびました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 呼ばなかった（よばなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 呼びませんでした（よびませんでした） |
| Te form | 呼んで（よんで） |
| Potential | 呼べる（よべる） |
| Passive | 呼ばれる（よばれる） |
| Causative | 呼ばせる（よばせる） |
| Causative passive | 呼ばせられる・呼ばされる（よばせられる・よばされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 呼べば（よべば） |
| tara | 呼んだら（よんだら） |
| Volitional | 呼ぼう（よぼう） |
| polite (mashou) | 呼びましょう（よびましょう） |
| Imperative | 呼べ（よべ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym喚問かんもんFormalFormal: summoning someone, as by a legislature, to be questioned, as in 「証人喚問」.
- Synonym呼び寄せるよびよせるNeutralTo call someone to your side or have them come over, as in 「家族を呼び寄せる」.
- Synonym招くまねくNeutralTo invite or beckon someone, as in 「客を招く」; also used for inviting something on oneself, as in 「誤解を招く」.
- Synonym呼ばわるよばわるNeutralTo shout or call out loudly; in the pattern 「～呼ばわり」 it means branding someone with a bad name, as in 「人を泥棒呼ばわりする」.
- RelatedわめくCasualColloquial: to yell or scream loudly, as in 「泣き喚く」; it stresses noisy clamor rather than calling someone over.
- Related呼び出すよびだすNeutralTo call someone out or summon them; also used for paging by phone or calling up a program, as in 「職員室に呼び出す」.
- Related招待しょうたいFormalFormal: to invite someone as a guest, as in 「パーティーに招待する」; more ceremonious than 「呼ぶ」.
- Related召集しょうしゅうFormalFormal: convening people by order of a superior, as in 「国会を召集する」 or 「召集令状」.
- Related招致しょうちFormalFormal: to bid for or attract something, as in 「五輪招致」; also used for inviting consequences.
- Related叫ぶさけぶNeutralTo shout or cry out, or raise one's voice for a cause, as in 「助けてと叫ぶ」; the focus is on the shout itself.
- Related招集しょうしゅうFormalFormal: convening members for a meeting, as in 「株主総会を招集する」; more general than 「召集」.
- Related召喚しょうかんFormalFormal: a court or authority summons, or summoning spirits, as in 「証人を召喚する」.
- Related呼び立てるよびたてるNeutralTo go to the trouble of calling someone over; often heard in the apology 「お呼び立てして申し訳ない」.
- Related大呼たいこWrittenWritten style for a loud shout or cry; not used in everyday speech.
- Related呼びにやるよびにやるNeutralTo send someone to fetch a person, as in 「医者を呼びにやる」; you don't go yourself.
- Related請じるしょうじるFormalFormal, literary word for inviting or showing someone in; archaic flavor, not used in daily conversation.
- Related請ずるしょうずるFormalAn older form of 「請じる」 with the same meaning; rarely seen in modern Japanese.
- Antonym答えるこたえるNeutralThe opposite of 「呼ぶ」: to answer or respond to a call or question.
- Antonym応じるおうじるNeutralAlso opposite in sense: to respond to or accept an invitation or request.
「呼ぶ」 is the default for calling someone over, summoning them, or addressing them by name. For a formal invitation use 「招待」 or 「招く」; to call someone out use 「呼び出す」, and for an official summons 「召喚」; to convene a meeting use 「招集」; for loud shouting use 「叫ぶ」. The remaining words are narrower or stylistically marked.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
