当たる・当る・中る・中たる|あたるataru[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N3approx.Common
Which spelling to use
当たる当たる(あたる) is the most common form, written with kanji and kana, and the recommended choice for beginners.
当る当る is a less common variant of 当たる, also written with kanji and kana; learners will encounter it less often than 当たる.
中る中る is less common than 当たる and 当る. It is another kanji-and-kana form, but beginners should not choose it as their default.
中たる中たる is the least common of these forms and is written with kanji and kana. Beginners should choose 当たる instead.
Definitions
  1. godan verb, intransitive verbto be hit; to strike
    私は顔かおに冷つめたい風かぜが当あたるのを感かんじた。↗
    I felt a cold wind on my face.
    彼かれは発砲はっぽうしたが当あたらなかった。↗
    He fired but missed.
  2. godan verb, intransitive verbto touch; to be in contact; to be affixed
  3. godan verb, intransitive verbto be equivalent to; to be applicable; to apply tooften as ...に当たる
    日本にっぽんの桜さくらはまさにイギリスのバラにあたる。↗
    The cherry blossom is to Japan what the rose is to England.
  4. godan verb, intransitive verbto be right on the money (of a prediction, criticism, etc.)
    不思議ふしぎな話はなしだが、彼かれの予言よげんは当あたった。↗
    Strange to say, his prediction has come true.
  5. godan verb, intransitive verbto be selected (in a lottery, etc.); to win
    福引ふくびきでカメラが当あたった。↗
    I got a camera in a lottery.
  6. godan verb, intransitive verbto be successful; to go well; to be a hit
  7. godan verb, intransitive verbto face; to confront
  8. godan verb, intransitive verbto lie (in the direction of)
  9. godan verb, intransitive verbto undertake; to be assigned
  10. godan verb, intransitive verbto be stricken (by food poisoning, heat, etc.); to be afflicted
    彼かれはフグにあたった。↗
    He was poisoned by the globefish he ate.
  11. godan verb, intransitive verbto be called on (e.g. by a teacher)
  12. godan verb, intransitive verbto treat (esp. harshly); to lash out at
  13. godan verb, intransitive verbto be unnecessaryas 〜するには当たらない, etc.
  14. godan verb, intransitive verb, baseballto be hitting well; to be on a hitting streakusu. as 当たっている
  15. godan verb, intransitive verbto feel a bite (in fishing)
  16. godan verb, intransitive verb(of fruit, etc.) to be bruised; to spoil
  17. godan verb, transitive verbto feel (something) out; to probe into; to check (i.e. by comparison)
  18. godan verb, transitive verbto shave
  19. godan verb, transitive verbto be a relative of a person; to be a ... in relation to ...; to stand in a relationshipas 〜の〜に当たる
Conjugation
Dictionary form当たる(あたる)
Polite (masu)当たります(あたります)
Negative (nai)当たらない(あたらない)
polite (masen)当たりません(あたりません)
classical zu / nu当たらず・当たらぬ(あたらず・あたらぬ)
Past (ta)当たった(あたった)
polite (mashita)当たりました(あたりました)
Past negative (nakatta)当たらなかった(あたらなかった)
polite (masen deshita)当たりませんでした(あたりませんでした)
Te form当たって(あたって)
Potential当たれる(あたれる)
Passive当たられる(あたられる)
Causative当たらせる(あたらせる)
Causative passive当たらせられる・当たらされる(あたらせられる・あたらされる)
Conditional (ba)当たれば(あたれば)
tara当たったら(あたったら)
Volitional当たろう(あたろう)
polite (mashou)当たりましょう(あたりましょう)
Imperative当たれ(あたれ)

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

Transitive / intransitive pair
intransitive当たるあたる⇄transitive当てるあてる
球たまが当あたる
球たまを当あてる
当たる describes the action of something striking a target (the striker is marked with が), whereas 当てる describes an agent causing something to strike a target (the thing caused to strike is marked with を).

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

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym突き当たるつきあたるNeutralRunning head-on into something, or reaching a dead end or hitting problems (「壁に突き当たる」); stresses being blocked head-on, while 「当たる」 just means coming into contact.
  • SynonymぶつかるNeutralFor objects colliding, or opinions clashing and problems arising; the emphasis is on both sides. 「当たる」 also covers hits, light shining on, and equivalence.
  • Synonym衝突しょうとつNeutralA Sino-Japanese noun for collisions and clashes (「車が衝突する」「意見の衝突」); more violent than 「当たる」.
  • Synonym接触せっしょくNeutralTouch, contact, or getting in touch with people (「接触事故」), also collisions in sports; 「当たる」 additionally covers hits and exposure to light.
  • Synonym命中めいちゅうNeutralHitting a target accurately (「的に命中する」); takes only the hit-the-mark sense of 「当たる」 and leans toward written style.
  • SynonymタッチNeutralA loanword for touching and contact (「タッチパネル」), also a touch in sports, involvement, or an artist's touch; it has no sense of hitting the mark or equivalence.
  • Synonymぶち当たるぶちあたるCasualColloquial: to slam into something or run into trouble (「困難にぶち当たる」); rougher in tone than 「突き当たる」.
  • Synonym行き当たるゆきあたるWrittenWritten style: to walk along and run into something, or reach a deadlock; in everyday speech 「突き当たる」 is used.
  • RelatedぶつけるNeutralAlso rain or waves beating hard (「波が岸に打ち付ける」); it is close to 「当たる」 only in the sense of striking.
  • Related立ち向かうたちむかうNeutralBravely facing difficulties or opponents (「困難に立ち向かう」); close only to 「当たる」 in its sense of dealing with something.
  • Related打つうつNeutralTransitive: to strike or hammer (「釘を打つ」); the subject is the one doing the hitting, while with 「当たる」 the subject is the thing that makes contact.
  • Related取り組むとりくむNeutralTo tackle a problem in earnest (「課題に取り組む」); close to 「当たる」 in its sense of taking on or dealing with a task.
  • RelatedあうNeutralTo meet or encounter; as in 「事故に遭う」 it is close to 「当たる」 in the sense of meeting with misfortune, but it never means collision or a hit.
  • Related向き合うむきあうNeutralTo stand face to face or face up to something (「現実と向き合う」); the nuance is squarely confronting, which 「当たる」 does not carry.
  • Related対戦たいせんNeutralTo face an opponent in a match (「強豪と対戦する」); close to 「当たる」 in the sense of meeting an opponent in competition.
  • Related合うあうNeutralTo fit or agree (「サイズが合う」); partially overlaps with 「当たる」 in the sense of guessing right or proving correct.
  • Related当てるあてるNeutralTransitive: to make something hit or touch, also to guess right or expose to light (「日に当てる」); it is the transitive partner of 「当たる」.
  • Related触れ合うふれあうNeutralFor touching each other, extended to hearts connecting (「心が触れ合う」); the nuance is gentle contact.
  • Related打ち付けるうちつけるNeutralTransitive: to nail down or make something slam against, as in 「頭を打ち付ける」「波が岸を打ち付ける」; 「当たる」 is intransitive.
  • RelatedぶっつけるCasualColloquial, an emphatic form of 「ぶつける」: to throw at, slam into, or vent feelings; transitive.
  • Relatedぶつかり合うぶつかりあうNeutralFor mutual collision or clashing (「意見がぶつかり合う」); stresses the two sides hitting each other.
  • Related対敵たいてきWrittenA rare written word for confronting the enemy; in everyday speech say 「敵に当たる」 or 「敵と戦う」.
  • Related打ち当てるうちあてるWrittenA rare written expression for striking one thing against another; in everyday speech 「ぶつける」 or 「当てる」 is used.
  • Antonym外れるはずれるNeutralTo miss the mark, draw a blank, or guess wrong (「予想が外れる」); the opposite of 「当たる」 in its hit-the-mark sense.

Use 「当たる」 for being hit, hitting the mark, being exposed to light, or being equivalent. For objects colliding use 「ぶつかる」 or 「衝突」; for running into a dead end or problems use 「突き当たる」; to make something hit use 「当てる」; for missing, use 「外れる」.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 動うごいてきた物ものがまともに接触せっしょくする。
  2. 光ひかり・熱ねつ・雨あめ・風かぜなどを受うける。
  3. 【中あたる】くじなどで選えらばれる。当籤とうせんする。また、当選とうせんの可能性かのうせいがある。
  4. 【中あたる】害がいとなるものを受うけて健康けんこうを損そこねる。飲食物いんしょくぶつにより腹はらを壊こわす。
  5. 【中あたる】期待きたいした通とおりの結果けっかとなる。予想よそうが的中てきちゅうする。
  6. うまくいく。ヒットする。
  7. 天罰てんばつなどが及およぶ。
  8. (主張しゅちょう内容ないようが)正ただしい。妥当だとうである。
  9. 相手あいてや物事ものごとに立ち向たちむかう。
  10. 直接ちょくせつ調しらべる。
  11. 人ひとなどに理不尽りふじんに接せっする。怒いかりなどをぶつける。怒鳴どなる。
  12. 仕事しごとに従事じゅうじする。
  13. 相当そうとうする。そのような関係かんけいにある。
  14. (「にあたり」「にあたって」などの形かたちで)そのような場合ばあいに。に際さいして。
  15. (「あたらない」などの形かたちで)およばない。必要ひつようない。
  16. (忌み言葉いみことば)擦する。剃そる。
  17. (方言ほうげん、北陸ほくりく・北海道ほっかいどう)貰もらう。
Kanji in this word
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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