減らす|へらすherasu[0]heiban (flat)
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- godan verb, transitive verbto abate; to decrease; to diminish; to shorten
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 減らす（へらす） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 減らします（へらします） |
| Negative (nai) | 減らさない（へらさない） |
| polite (masen) | 減らしません（へらしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 減らさず・減らさぬ（へらさず・へらさぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 減らした（へらした） |
| polite (mashita) | 減らしました（へらしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 減らさなかった（へらさなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 減らしませんでした（へらしませんでした） |
| Te form | 減らして（へらして） |
| Potential | 減らせる（へらせる） |
| Passive | 減らされる（へらされる） |
| Causative | 減らさせる（へらさせる） |
| Causative passive | 減らさせられる（へらさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 減らせば（へらせば） |
| tara | 減らしたら（へらしたら） |
| Volitional | 減らそう（へらそう） |
| polite (mashou) | 減らしましょう（へらしましょう） |
| Imperative | 減らせ（へらせ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
- Synonym低減ていげんWrittenWritten word for lowering or reducing, e.g. 「騒音を低減する」; common in technical and environmental contexts.
- Synonym減殺げんさいWrittenWritten word for weakening or diminishing an effect, e.g. 「効果を減殺する」.
- Synonym削減さくげんWrittenWritten word for cutting budgets, staff and the like, e.g. 「経費削減」; leans formal.
- Synonym軽減けいげんWrittenWritten word for lightening a burden or pain, e.g. 「負担を軽減する」.
- Synonym削るけずるNeutralNeutral verb meaning to shave or plane, and to cut down, e.g. 「予算を削る」; common in everyday speech.
- Synonym縮減しゅくげんWrittenWritten word for scaling down, e.g. 「縮減計画」.
- Synonym減額げんがくWrittenWritten word for reducing an amount, e.g. 「給与の減額」; used mostly for money.
- Synonym減ずるげんずるFormalFormal written verb for decreasing or subtracting, e.g. 「速度を減ずる」; in everyday speech say 「減らす」.
- Synonym減じるげんじるFormalFormal written verb with the same sense as 「減ずる」; in everyday speech say 「減らす」.
- SynonymそぐNeutralNeutral verb meaning to chip or shave off, and figuratively to dampen spirit, e.g. 「やる気を削ぐ」.
- Synonym減損げんそんWrittenWritten term for loss or impairment, e.g. 「減損処理」; used mostly in accounting.
- Synonym節するせっするWrittenRare written word for being moderate or saving; in everyday use say 「節約する」.
- SynonymつづめるWrittenRare written verb for shortening or economising; in everyday use say 「縮める」.
- Related節約せつやくNeutralNeutral word for economising on money or energy, e.g. 「電気を節約する」; the point is avoiding waste.
- Related減少げんしょうWrittenWritten Sino-Japanese noun for a decrease in numbers, e.g. 「人口減少」; usually intransitive, while 「減らす」 is transitive.
- Related縮小しゅくしょうWrittenWritten word for shrinking scale, e.g. 「事業縮小」; the emphasis is on scope becoming smaller.
- Related短縮たんしゅくWrittenWritten word for shortening time or distance, e.g. 「時間短縮」.
- Related節倹せっけんWrittenWritten word for thrift; in everyday use say 「倹約」 or 「節約」.
- Related累減るいげんWrittenWritten word for step-by-step or gradual decrease; rare.
- Antonym増やすふやすNeutralNeutral antonym meaning to increase; the direct opposite of 「減らす」.
- Antonym加えるくわえるNeutralNeutral antonym meaning to add; the direct opposite of 「減らす」.
Use 「減らす」 whenever you make a quantity smaller. For set collocations pick the matching noun+suru word: 「削減」 for cutting budgets or staff, 「軽減」 for lightening burdens or pain, 「節約」 for saving money or energy, 「短縮」 for shortening time or distance, 「減額」 for cutting a sum of money. 「減ずる」 and 「減じる」 are formal written verbs replaced by 「減らす」 in speech, and 「減少」 is the intransitive counterpart. The opposite of 「減らす」 is 「増やす」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
