抱く・懐く|いだくidaku[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
抱く抱く（いだく） is the most common written form. It is written with kanji and kana and covers the senses of holding, embracing, hugging, and having a thought or feeling.
懐く懐く（いだく） is a less common written variant of 抱く（いだく）, also written with kanji and kana. It can express the same senses.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto hold in one's arms (e.g. a baby); to embrace; to hug
- godan verb, transitive verbto have (a thought or feeling); to hold; to harbour (suspicion, doubt, etc.); to harbor; to bear (a grudge, ill will, etc.); to entertain (hope, illusions, etc.); to cherish (e.g. an ambition)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 抱く（いだく） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 抱きます（いだきます） |
| Negative (nai) | 抱かない（いだかない） |
| polite (masen) | 抱きません（いだきません） |
| classical zu / nu | 抱かず・抱かぬ（いだかず・いだかぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 抱いた（いだいた） |
| polite (mashita) | 抱きました（いだきました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 抱かなかった（いだかなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 抱きませんでした（いだきませんでした） |
| Te form | 抱いて（いだいて） |
| Potential | 抱ける（いだける） |
| Passive | 抱かれる（いだかれる） |
| Causative | 抱かせる（いだかせる） |
| Causative passive | 抱かせられる・抱かされる（いだかせられる・いだかされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 抱けば（いだけば） |
| tara | 抱いたら（いだいたら） |
| Volitional | 抱こう（いだこう） |
| polite (mashou) | 抱きましょう（いだきましょう） |
| Imperative | 抱け（いだけ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym抱っこだっこCasualColloquial, childlike word for carrying a baby or pet in your arms, as in 「抱っこして」.
- Synonym抱えるかかえるNeutralHolds something in or under the arms, or means bearing problems and debts, as in 「悩みを抱える」; the stress is on the burden.
- Synonym抱擁ほうようWrittenWritten word for a close, affectionate embrace, as in 「熱い抱擁」; found mostly in prose.
- Synonym抱え込むかかえこむNeutralHolds something tightly in your arms, or takes a problem on alone, as in 「仕事を抱え込む」.
- Synonym抱き寄せるだきよせるNeutralPulls someone into your arms and holds them there, as in 「肩を抱き寄せる」; the focus is on the action of drawing the person close.
- Synonym抱き抱えるだきかかえるNeutralHolds a person or thing up in both arms pressed against the body, stressing support, as in 「けが人を抱きかかえる」.
- Synonym抱きつくだきつくNeutralReaches out to wrap your arms around someone and hold on, as in 「母親に抱きつく」; the subject is the one doing the hugging.
- Related抱きしめるだきしめるNeutralHugs someone tightly with real force and carries emotional warmth, as in 「強く抱きしめる」.
- Related抱き込むだきこむNeutralCan mean holding in your arms, but more often it means winning a person over to your side.
- Related懐抱かいほうWrittenWritten word for an embrace or for thoughts held in the heart; rare in modern usage.
- Related抱懐ほうかいWrittenWritten word for harboring an idea in one's heart; rare today, where 「抱く」 is the usual choice.
- Antonym放つはなつNeutralReleases or lets fly, as in freeing an animal or firing; it opposes 「抱く」 only as letting go versus holding, not for putting down something held in the arms.
- Antonym捨てるすてるNeutralMeans to throw away or give up; it is the opposite of the harboring in 「希望を抱く」, as in 「希望を捨てる」.
Use 「抱く」 for harboring feelings such as hope or doubt; in written prose it also covers embracing. For a tight, emotional hug choose 「抱きしめる」, for carrying a child or pet 「抱っこ」, and for bearing problems or debts 「抱える」. To give up hope, say 「捨てる」.
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
