思い起こす|おもいおこすomoiokosu[5]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto recall; to remember
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 思い起こす（おもいおこす） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 思い起こします（おもいおこします） |
| Negative (nai) | 思い起こさない（おもいおこさない） |
| polite (masen) | 思い起こしません（おもいおこしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 思い起こさず・思い起こさぬ（おもいおこさず・おもいおこさぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 思い起こした（おもいおこした） |
| polite (mashita) | 思い起こしました（おもいおこしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 思い起こさなかった（おもいおこさなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 思い起こしませんでした（おもいおこしませんでした） |
| Te form | 思い起こして（おもいおこして） |
| Potential | 思い起こせる（おもいおこせる） |
| Passive | 思い起こされる（おもいおこされる） |
| Causative | 思い起こさせる（おもいおこさせる） |
| Causative passive | 思い起こさせられる（おもいおこさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 思い起こせば（おもいおこせば） |
| tara | 思い起こしたら（おもいおこしたら） |
| Volitional | 思い起こそう（おもいおこそう） |
| polite (mashou) | 思い起こしましょう（おもいおこしましょう） |
| Imperative | 思い起こせ（おもいおこせ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym思い出すおもいだすNeutralThe everyday, most common word for remembering; 「思い起こす」 is more written and stresses consciously calling the past to mind.
- Synonym思い浮かべるおもいうかべるNeutralTo picture something in your mind; also to imagine. Emphasizes visual imagery and need not involve memory at all.
- Synonym想起そうきWrittenWritten, academic term for recalling; in psychology it refers to memory retrieval. Keep it to formal prose.
- Synonym思い返すおもいかえすNeutralTo think back on the past, and also to reconsider or change one's mind; stresses turning things over repeatedly.
- Synonym思い当たるおもいあたるNeutralTo suddenly hit on something through experience or memory, as in 「思い当たる節がある」; stresses arriving at the cause.
- Related回想かいそうNeutralRecalling events from one's own past, as in 「回想シーン」; stresses looking back over your experiences.
- RelatedしのぶNeutralTo cherish the memory of someone or long for days gone by, as in 「故人を偲ぶ」; carries tender longing.
- Related回顧かいこWrittenWritten word for looking back over the past, as in 「回顧録」; stresses taking stock of what has happened.
- Related追憶ついおくWrittenWritten term for reminiscing about the past, tinged with wistful nostalgia.
- Related追懐ついかいWrittenWritten and fairly rare; fondly recalling people and events of the past.
- Related回視かいしWrittenWritten and rare; looking back at the past, but also just looking around at one's surroundings.
- Related思い及ぶおもいおよぶNeutralTo think of or reach a thought about something; usually in the negative, as in 「思い及ばない」.
- Antonym忘れるわすれるNeutralThe plain antonym: to forget; the opposite of recalling the past with 「思い起こす」.
- Antonym忘却するWrittenWritten antonym meaning to forget something completely; stands against the recalling sense of 「思い起こす」.
To deliberately call the past to mind in formal prose, use 「思い起こす」, as in 「当時を思い起こす」; in everyday speech 「思い出す」 is the default. Use 「思い浮かべる」 for picturing or imagining, 「思い返す」 for rethinking, 「思い当たる」 for a sudden realization, and 「偲ぶ」 for fondly remembering the departed. In writing, 「回想」「回顧」「追憶」 suit reminiscence; the antonyms are 「忘れる」 and formal 「忘却する」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
