整理|せいりseiri[1]atamadaka (head-high)

JLPT N3approx.Common
Definitions
  1. noun, suru verb, transitive verbsorting; arrangement; organization; putting in order; adjustment; regulation
    部屋へやの整理せいりをしたほうがいいよ。↗
    You should set your room in order.
  2. noun, suru verb, transitive verbliquidation; settlement; consolidation; clearance (e.g. debt); paying off
  3. noun, suru verb, transitive verbretrenchment; curtailment; cutting down; disposal
Conjugation
Dictionary form整理する(せいりする)
Polite (masu)整理します(せいりします)
Negative (nai)整理しない(せいりしない)
polite (masen)整理しません(せいりしません)
classical zu / nu整理せず・整理せぬ(せいりせず・せいりせぬ)
Past (ta)整理した(せいりした)
polite (mashita)整理しました(せいりしました)
Past negative (nakatta)整理しなかった(せいりしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)整理しませんでした(せいりしませんでした)
Te form整理して(せいりして)
Potential整理できる(せいりできる)
Passive整理される(せいりされる)
Causative整理させる(せいりさせる)
Causative passive整理させられる(せいりさせられる)
Conditional (ba)整理すれば(せいりすれば)
tara整理したら(せいりしたら)
Volitional整理しよう(せいりしよう)
polite (mashou)整理しましょう(せいりしましょう)
Imperative整理しろ(せいりしろ)

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

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym整えるととのえるNeutralA verb for putting one's appearance, surroundings, or conditions in order, and for getting things ready; 「整理」 sorts out clutter and covers clearing away or cutting back.
  • Synonym整頓せいとんNeutralPutting things neatly in place; often paired as 「整理整頓」. 「整理」 stresses sorting out and removing the excess, while 「整頓」 stresses neat arrangement.
  • Synonym仕分けしわけNeutralSorting things by type, like parcel sorting; in accounting it means journal entries. 「整理」 does not necessarily involve classifying.
  • Synonym揃えるそろえるNeutralA verb for making things uniform or gathering a complete set, as in 「靴を揃える」. 「整理」 focuses on sorting out clutter.
  • Synonym分別ぶんべつNeutralMostly sorting rubbish and the like, as in 「ゴミの分別」. Read as 「ふんべつ」, it is a different word meaning good judgment.
  • Synonym片付けるかたづけるNeutralA verb for tidying up and putting things back, and for settling matters. 「整理」 is more formal and also covers organizing one's thoughts.
  • Synonym取り片付けるとりかたづけるNeutralClearing away scattered things and tidying them up; rare in use — people normally say 「片付ける」.
  • Synonym片すかたすCasualColloquial, with a Kanto dialect flavor, for tidying up or moving something aside. Formally, say 「片付ける」.
  • Related配置はいちNeutralAssigning people or things to suitable positions, as in 「人員配置」. 「整理」 is about straightening out what is disordered.
  • Related分類ぶんるいNeutralClassifying by a set standard, somewhat academic, as in 「生物の分類」. 「整理」 focuses on turning disorder into order.
  • Related配列はいれつNeutralArranging in a set order; in programming it also means an array. 「整理」 is about tidying up and straightening things out.
  • Related区分くぶんWrittenWritten/formal prose. Dividing along lines or into categories, often institutional, as in 「区分所有」. 「整理」 is straightening out what is disordered.
  • Related選別せんべつNeutralSorting by quality or a set standard, picking out and separating, as in 「選別作業」. 「整理」 does not stress selection.
  • Related分別ぶんべつNeutralMostly sorting rubbish and the like, as in 「ゴミの分別」. Read as 「ふんべつ」, it is a different word meaning good judgment.
  • Related種別しゅべつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Distinguishing by type, mostly in forms and institutional contexts. 「整理」 is tidying and sorting out.
  • Related区分けくわけNeutralDividing a whole into blocks, such as traffic lanes or zones. 「整理」 focuses on straightening out what is disordered.
  • Related選り分けるよりわけるNeutralA verb for picking out the good from the bad and setting them apart. 「整理」 does not put the emphasis on picking.
  • Related調整ちょうせいNeutralAdjusting figures or relationships to a suitable state, as in 「日程調整」. 「整理」 is sorting out clutter.
  • Related分けるわけるNeutralA versatile verb for dividing, distributing, and classifying. 「整理」 focuses on putting clutter into order.
  • Related仕分けるしわけるNeutralA verb for separating things by type. 「整理」 is broader, also covering clearing away and discarding.
  • Related類別るいべつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Dividing by type; also a mathematical term. In everyday speech people say 「分類」.
  • Antonym乱雑らんざつNeutralOpposite to 「整理」 in terms of order: cluttered and disordered, mostly of objects and rooms.
  • Antonym散乱さんらんNeutralOpposite to 「整理」 in terms of order: things lying scattered about; in physics it means scattering.
  • Antonym混乱こんらんNeutralOpposite to 「整理」 in terms of order: a breakdown of order or confused thinking.

Use 「整理」 to sort out clutter and remove what is unneeded. For arranging things neatly, use 「整頓」; for tidying things back into place, 「片付ける」. For sorting into categories, 「分類」; for sorting by type, 「仕分け」. For adjusting figures or relationships, 「調整」.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 乱みだれた状態じょうたいのものを整ととのえること。
  2. 不必要ふひつようなものを取り除とりのぞくこと。
  3. (新聞しんぶん・雑誌ざっし)文章ぶんしょうや写真しゃしん、見出みだしなどを配置はいちして紙面しめんを構成こうせいすること。レイアウト。
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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