振る舞う・振舞う|ふるまうfurumau[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
振舞う振舞う is the more common of the two written forms; it combines kanji and kana.
振る舞う振る舞う is less common than 振舞う, but it is the form beginners are advised to use; it also combines kanji and kana.
Definitions
- godan verb, intransitive verbto behave; to conduct oneself; to act学生であるならそのように振舞いなさい。↗If you are a student, behave as such.
- godan verb, transitive verbto treat (someone) to (food or drink); to entertain (e.g. to lunch)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 振る舞う（ふるまう） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 振る舞います（ふるまいます） |
| Negative (nai) | 振る舞わない（ふるまわない） |
| polite (masen) | 振る舞いません（ふるまいません） |
| classical zu / nu | 振る舞わず・振る舞わぬ（ふるまわず・ふるまわぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 振る舞った（ふるまった） |
| polite (mashita) | 振る舞いました（ふるまいました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 振る舞わなかった（ふるまわなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 振る舞いませんでした（ふるまいませんでした） |
| Te form | 振る舞って（ふるまって） |
| Potential | 振る舞える（ふるまえる） |
| Passive | 振る舞われる（ふるまわれる） |
| Causative | 振る舞わせる（ふるまわせる） |
| Causative passive | 振る舞わせられる・振る舞わされる（ふるまわせられる・ふるまわされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 振る舞えば（ふるまえば） |
| tara | 振る舞ったら（ふるまったら） |
| Volitional | 振る舞おう（ふるまおう） |
| polite (mashou) | 振る舞いましょう（ふるまいましょう） |
| Imperative | 振る舞え（ふるまえ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym接待せったいNeutralEntertaining guests, often business wining and dining like 「接待ゴルフ」; can also mean serving tea to the public. 「振舞う」 also covers behavior.
- Synonym立ち振る舞うたちふるまうWrittenWritten word for how one acts or handles situations and people; unlike 「振舞う」, it never covers treating someone to food or drink.
- Related饗応きょうおうWrittenWritten and formal: entertaining guests with food and drink, i.e. wining and dining. 「振舞う」 is more colloquial and also covers how one behaves.
- RelatedもてなすNeutralWarm, attentive hospitality toward guests, as in 「客をもてなす」; 「振舞う」 centers on treating people to food and drink.
- Relatedご馳走ごちそうNeutralTreating someone to a meal, and also a fine dish or feast, as in 「ご馳走になる」; 「振舞う」 can also describe behavior.
- Related馳走ちそうNeutralThe base form of 「ご馳走」, meaning to treat someone to a meal; in speech people say 「ご馳走」, so it rarely stands alone.
- Related饗するきょうするWrittenWritten word for feasting or entertaining guests; in everyday speech use 「もてなす」 instead.
- Related遇するぐうするWrittenWritten word for how one treats or handles someone, as in 「客として遇する」; 「振舞う」 centers on entertaining with food and drink.
Default to 「振舞う」 for both behavior and treating people to food or drink. For warm hospitality use 「もてなす」, for treating to a meal 「ご馳走する」, for business entertainment 「接待」, and for formal banquets 「饗応」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
