早める・速める|はやめるhayameru[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
早める早める is the most common form and the recommended default for beginners. It is used for meanings such as bringing something forward, hastening, and expediting.
速める速める is less common than 早める and is an alternative written form. It can be encountered with the same meanings, including bringing something forward or expediting.
Definitions
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto bring forward (e.g. by 3 hours); to advance; to hasten (e.g. one's death); to expedite; to precipitateusu. 早める
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto quicken (e.g. one's step); to speed up; to accelerateusu. 速める
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 早める（はやめる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 早めます（はやめます） |
| Negative (nai) | 早めない（はやめない） |
| polite (masen) | 早めません（はやめません） |
| classical zu / nu | 早めず・早めぬ（はやめず・はやめぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 早めた（はやめた） |
| polite (mashita) | 早めました（はやめました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 早めなかった（はやめなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 早めませんでした（はやめませんでした） |
| Te form | 早めて（はやめて） |
| Potential | 早められる（はやめられる） |
| Passive | 早められる（はやめられる） |
| Causative | 早めさせる（はやめさせる） |
| Causative passive | 早めさせられる（はやめさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 早めれば（はやめれば） |
| tara | 早めたら（はやめたら） |
| Volitional | 早めよう（はやめよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 早めましょう（はやめましょう） |
| Imperative | 早めろ（はやめろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
予定を早める
早まる describes a schedule or event becoming earlier, often without specifying who caused it; 早める focuses on someone deliberately moving it forward.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym進めるすすめるNeutralNeutral. Pushes plans or work forward, as in 「計画を進める」, and can set a clock ahead, 「時計を進める」; it stresses advancing progress rather than moving a time earlier.
- Synonym促すうながすWrittenWritten/formal prose. Urges or promotes, as in 「成長を促す」 or 「注意を促す」; it is for spurring things like growth or attention, not for moving a time earlier.
- Synonym急がせるいそがせるNeutralNeutral. Makes someone work faster, as in 「作業を急がせる」; it presses a task or pace along rather than moving a planned time earlier.
- Related急かすせかすCasualColloquial. Urges someone to hurry, as in 「そんなに急かさないで」; it is about making a person feel rushed, not about moving a time or schedule forward.
- Related急き立てるせきたてるCasualColloquial. Presses someone to act faster, as in 「子供を急き立てる」; it urges people on, while 「早める」 is about moving a time or schedule earlier.
- Related急かせるせかせるCasualColloquial. Urges someone to hurry, exactly like 「急かす」, but is used less often; it presses people rather than moving a time forward.
- Related急くせくWrittenWritten/formal prose. Means to be impatient or in a hurry oneself, as in 「気が急く」; it stresses the feeling of urgency, not moving a time forward.
- Antonym遅らせるおくらせるNeutralNeutral. Delays or postpones things, the opposite of 「早める」: where 「早める」 moves a time earlier, 「遅らせる」 pushes it back or slows it down.
Use 「早める」 to move a time earlier or speed something up, as in 「予定を早める」 and 「足を早める」. For pushing plans along use 「進める」, for promoting or urging use 「促す」, for hurrying someone use 「急かす」; the opposite is 「遅らせる」.
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
