奨励|しょうれいshourei[0]heiban (flat)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbencouragement; promotion; inducement; incitement; stimulation
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 奨励する(しょうれいする) |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 奨励します(しょうれいします) |
| Negative (nai) | 奨励しない(しょうれいしない) |
| polite (masen) | 奨励しません(しょうれいしません) |
| classical zu / nu | 奨励せず・奨励せぬ(しょうれいせず・しょうれいせぬ) |
| Past (ta) | 奨励した(しょうれいした) |
| polite (mashita) | 奨励しました(しょうれいしました) |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 奨励しなかった(しょうれいしなかった) |
| polite (masen deshita) | 奨励しませんでした(しょうれいしませんでした) |
| Te form | 奨励して(しょうれいして) |
| Potential | 奨励できる(しょうれいできる) |
| Passive | 奨励される(しょうれいされる) |
| Causative | 奨励させる(しょうれいさせる) |
| Causative passive | 奨励させられる(しょうれいさせられる) |
| Conditional (ba) | 奨励すれば(しょうれいすれば) |
| tara | 奨励したら(しょうれいしたら) |
| Volitional | 奨励しよう(しょうれいしよう) |
| polite (mashou) | 奨励しましょう(しょうれいしましょう) |
| Imperative | 奨励しろ(しょうれいしろ) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Synonym勧奨かんしょうWrittenWritten/formal prose. Urges or advises someone to do something, as in 「退職勧奨」; 「奨励」 stresses advocating conduct regarded as good.
- Synonym勧めるすすめるNeutralA verb meaning to persuade or recommend. 「奨励」 is a Sino-Japanese word with a formal air, used for advocating or urging a course of action.
- Related促進そくしんNeutralMeans pushing something along so it advances faster. 「奨励」 is about urging people to take up an activity rather than speeding progress.
- Related激励げきれいNeutralEncourages or cheers someone on, with an emotional, morale-boosting focus. 「奨励」 stresses advocating a particular course of action.
- Related鼓舞こぶNeutralRouses morale, lifting people's spirits. 「奨励」 instead stresses advocating a particular course of action.
- Related励ますはげますNeutralA verb meaning to encourage or cheer someone on; the most colloquial choice. 「奨励」 is more formal, advocating a course of action.
- Related元気づけるげんきづけるNeutralA verb for perking someone up, restoring their energy. 「奨励」 focuses on advocating a course of action rather than lifting spirits.
- Relatedご鞭撻ごべんたつWrittenHonorific; humbly asks for another's guidance and prodding, common in speeches. 「奨励」 simply means advocating something.
- Related督励とくれいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Supervising subordinates and spurring them on; in everyday speech 「激励」 is the usual word.
- Related勇気づけるゆうきづけるNeutralA verb for giving someone courage to keep going. 「奨励」 focuses on advocating a course of action.
- Related力づけるちからづけるNeutralA verb for giving someone strength or confidence. 「奨励」 focuses on advocating a course of action.
- Related引き立てるひきたてるNeutralMeans favoring and promoting someone, or setting something off to advantage. 「奨励」 focuses on advocating a course of action.
- Related策励さくれいWrittenWritten/formal prose and rare: spurring someone on. In everyday speech 「激励」 is the usual word.
- Related勧賞かんしょうWrittenWritten/formal prose and rare: praising merit and granting rewards. Modern speech favors 「表彰」 or 「褒美」.
- Related鼓舞激励こぶげきれいWrittenWritten/formal prose. A four-character compound meaning to rouse and encourage. 「奨励」 focuses on advocating a course of action.
- Related作興さっこうWrittenWritten/formal prose and rare: stimulating or building something up; everyday speech uses 「振興」.
- Related振起しんきWrittenWritten/formal prose and rare: rousing spirits, as in 「士気を振起する」. 「奨励」 focuses on advocating a course of action.
- Antonym禁止きんしNeutralThe opposite pole to 「奨励」: where one advocates, this prohibits. A neutral word for banning or forbidding an act.
- Antonym抑制よくせいNeutralStands opposite 「奨励」 as restraining versus advocating: it means holding something in check or suppressing it.
Use 「奨励」 for advocating an activity considered good, often with rewards or an official system behind it, as in 「奨励金」 and 「読書を奨励する」. To encourage a person in speech, say 「励ます」; for emotional or morale-boosting support, 「激励」 or 「鼓舞」; to lift someone's spirits, 「元気づける」; to speed progress, 「促進」; to advise or recommend, the neutral verb 「勧める」. The rest — 「勧奨」, 「督励」, 「策励」, 「勧賞」, 「鼓舞激励」, 「作興」, 「振起」, 「ご鞭撻」 — are written or rare. Opposites: 「禁止」, 「抑制」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


