掻き回す・かき回す|かきまわすkakimawasu[4]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
かき回すかき回す is the most common form and the recommended choice for beginners. Use it as your default when writing Japanese.
掻き回す掻き回す is less common than かき回す. It is a kanji-and-kana variant that learners may encounter, but かき回す is the safer choice for writing.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto stir; to churn; to poke (a fire); to disturb (water)
- godan verb, transitive verbto rummage around
- godan verb, transitive verbto throw into confusion; to throw into chaos; to disturb
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 掻き回す（かきまわす） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 掻き回します（かきまわします） |
| Negative (nai) | 掻き回さない（かきまわさない） |
| polite (masen) | 掻き回しません（かきまわしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 掻き回さず・掻き回さぬ（かきまわさず・かきまわさぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 掻き回した（かきまわした） |
| polite (mashita) | 掻き回しました（かきまわしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 掻き回さなかった（かきまわさなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 掻き回しませんでした（かきまわしませんでした） |
| Te form | 掻き回して（かきまわして） |
| Potential | 掻き回せる（かきまわせる） |
| Passive | 掻き回される（かきまわされる） |
| Causative | 掻き回させる（かきまわさせる） |
| Causative passive | 掻き回させられる（かきまわさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 掻き回せば（かきまわせば） |
| tara | 掻き回したら（かきまわしたら） |
| Volitional | 掻き回そう（かきまわそう） |
| polite (mashou) | 掻き回しましょう（かきまわしましょう） |
| Imperative | 掻き回せ（かきまわせ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonymかき混ぜるかきまぜるNeutralStirs to mix things evenly, as in 「卵をかき混ぜる」; the focus is on blending. 「かき回す」 also covers stirring up a situation figuratively.
- Synonym混ぜ返すまぜかえすCasualColloquial. Interrupting someone's talk with jokes or teasing to throw it into confusion, as in 「話を混ぜ返す」.
- Synonym混ぜっ返すまぜっかえすCasualA colloquial, emphatic variant of 「混ぜ返す」, as in 「まぜっかえすな」.
- Synonym引っ掻き回すひっかきまわすNeutralRummaging through or messing things up roughly, as in 「引き出しを引っ掻き回す」; harsher in tone than 「かき回す」.
- Related混ぜるまぜるNeutralThe most general word: to mix things together, as in 「材料を混ぜる」.
- Related煽るあおるNeutralFans flames or, figuratively, whips up emotions, as in 「不安を煽る」; the emphasis is on arousing feelings.
- Related攪拌かくはんNeutralA noun for stirring or agitation, as in 「攪拌機」; used mainly in chemistry and industrial contexts.
- Related掻き立てるかきたてるNeutralStirs up feelings or interest, as in 「不安を掻き立てる」; mostly used with emotions.
- Relatedかき起こすかきおこすNeutralPokes a fire to make it burn up, as in 「火をかき起こす」; typically for charcoal fires.
- Antonym静めるしずめるNeutralAntonym: to calm or quiet something, as in 「心を静める」 — the opposite of stirring things up.
- Antonym落ち着かせるNeutralAntonym: to make someone or something settle down and calm, the opposite of 「かき回す」.
Use 「かき回す」 for stirring a liquid or throwing a situation into confusion, as in 「スープをかき回す」 and 「会議をかき回す」. For mixing evenly say 「かき混ぜる」, for butting in with jokes 「混ぜ返す」, and in technical or industrial contexts 「攪拌」. The opposite is 「静める」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
