引く・曳く・牽く|ひくhiku[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
引く引く is the most common written form and is written with kanji and kana. Beginners should use 引く by default.
曳く曳く is a less common written form of 引く, also using kanji and kana. Learners should generally choose 引く instead.
牽く牽く is a less common written form of 引く, written with kanji and kana. Learners should generally choose 引く instead.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto pull; to tug; to lead (e.g. a horse)
- godan verb, transitive verbto draw (attention, sympathy, etc.); to attract (e.g. interest)also written as 惹く
- godan verb, transitive verbto draw back (e.g. one's hand); to draw in (one's chin, stomach, etc.); to pull in
- godan verb, transitive verbto draw (a card, mahjong tile, etc.)
- godan verb, transitive verbto draw (a line, plan, etc.)
- godan verb, transitive verbto catch (a cold)
- godan verb, transitive verbto play (a stringed or keyboard instrument)usu. written as 弾く
- godan verb, transitive verbto look up (in a dictionary, phone book, etc.); to consult; to check
- godan verb, transitive verbto haul; to pull (vehicles)esp. 牽く
- godan verb, transitive verbto subtract; to deduct
- godan verb, transitive verbto recede; to ebb; to fade
- godan verb, transitive verbto be descend from; to inherit (a characteristic)
- godan verb, transitive verbto quote; to cite; to raise (as evidence)
- godan verb, transitive verbto lay on (electricity, gas, etc.); to install (e.g. a telephone); to supply (e.g. water)
- godan verb, transitive verbto hold (e.g. a note)
- godan verb, transitive verbto apply (e.g. lipstick); to oil (e.g. a pan); to wax (e.g. a floor)
- godan verb, intransitive verbto move back; to draw back; to recede; to fall back; to retreatalso written as 退く
- godan verb, intransitive verbto lessen; to subside; to ebb; to go down (e.g. of swelling)also written as 退く
- godan verb, intransitive verbto resign; to retire; to quitalso written as 退く
- godan verb, intransitive verbto be put off (by someone's words or behaviour); to be turned off; to recoil (in disgust, etc.); to cringe
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 引く（ひく） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 引きます（ひきます） |
| Negative (nai) | 引かない（ひかない） |
| polite (masen) | 引きません（ひきません） |
| classical zu / nu | 引かず・引かぬ（ひかず・ひかぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 引いた（ひいた） |
| polite (mashita) | 引きました（ひきました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 引かなかった（ひかなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 引きませんでした（ひきませんでした） |
| Te form | 引いて（ひいて） |
| Potential | 引ける（ひける） |
| Passive | 引かれる（ひかれる） |
| Causative | 引かせる（ひかせる） |
| Causative passive | 引かせられる・引かされる（ひかせられる・ひかされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 引けば（ひけば） |
| tara | 引いたら（ひいたら） |
| Volitional | 引こう（ひこう） |
| polite (mashou) | 引きましょう（ひきましょう） |
| Imperative | 引け（ひけ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym引っ張るひっぱるNeutralPulling or tugging with force, as in 「袖を引っ張る」; puts more emphasis on the effort than 「引く」.
- Synonym引きずるひきずるNeutralDragging something along the ground; figuratively, letting something drag on or being unable to let it go, as in 「過去を引きずる」.
- Synonym引きつけるひきつけるNeutralAttracting people or drawing them close, as in 「人を引きつける魅力」; also means twitching or convulsions.
- Synonym牽引けんいんWrittenA written Sino-Japanese word: towing or hauling vehicles, or driving development forward, as in 「経済を牽引する」.
- Related引き出すひきだすNeutralDrawing out or withdrawing, as in 「預金を引き出す」; also eliciting potential or opinions, as in 「才能を引き出す」.
- Related抜き去るぬきさるNeutralOvertaking the person or car ahead, or pulling something out and removing it, as in 「先頭を抜き去る」.
- Related抜き取るぬきとるNeutralExtracting or taking something out; also stealing the contents of something, as in 「財布から金を抜き取る」.
- Related摘むつむNeutralRead 「つむ」: plucking flowers or tea with the fingertips, mostly plants; 「引く」 is pulling, not picking.
- Related抜き出すぬきだすNeutralPicking out or extracting selected items, as in 「要点を抜き出す」; the focus is on selection.
- Related抜くぬくNeutralPulling out or removing what is fitted or stuck, as in 「釘を抜く」; 「引く」 stresses the direction of pulling, not removal.
- Related引っ張り出すひっぱりだすCasualColloquial: forcing something out by pulling, or dragging a person out to make them show up.
- Related引きずり出すひきずりだすNeutralDragging someone or something out by force, with a rough, violent feel, as in 「犯人を引きずり出す」.
- Related引っこ抜くひっこぬくCasualColloquial: pulling something out with force; also poaching people, as in 「人材を引っこ抜く」.
- Relatedひん抜くひんぬくCasualSlangy and rough: yanking something out in one pull; 「引く」 is just pulling and does not necessarily detach the thing.
- Related惹くひくWrittenThe written spelling for attracting attention or interest or stirring sympathy, as in 「人目を惹く」「興味を惹く」.
- Related扱ぐこぐCasualDialectal or dated word meaning only to uproot by the roots; rare — 「引き抜く」 is the usual word. 「引く」 is pulling, not necessarily uprooting.
- Antonym押すおすNeutralAntonym: pushing forward or pressing down, the opposite direction from 「引く」, which pulls toward oneself.
「引く」 is the default for pulling something toward you. Use 「引っ張る」 for pulling hard, 「引きずる」 for dragging along the ground, 「引き出す」 for drawing out or withdrawing, and 「抜く」 for removing something embedded; 「惹く」 is the written spelling for attracting attention. The compounds add specific actions — 「引っ張り出す」 haul out, 「引きずり出す」 force out, 「引っこ抜く」 yank out or poach, 「抜き去る」 overtake, 「抜き取る」 extract or pilfer, 「摘む」 pick plants, 「抜き出す」 select, 「ひん抜く」 yank out, 「扱ぐ」 uproot — while 「押す」 is the antonym, pushing away.
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
