潜伏|せんぷくsenpuku[0]heiban (flat)

Common
Definitions
  1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verbconcealment; hiding; ambush
    容疑者ようぎしゃは三さん週間しゅうかん山さんに潜伏せんぷくしていた。↗
    The suspect was hiding out in the mountains for three weeks.
  2. noun, suru verb, intransitive verbincubation; latency; dormancy
Conjugation
Dictionary form潜伏する(せんぷくする)
Polite (masu)潜伏します(せんぷくします)
Negative (nai)潜伏しない(せんぷくしない)
polite (masen)潜伏しません(せんぷくしません)
classical zu / nu潜伏せず・潜伏せぬ(せんぷくせず・せんぷくせぬ)
Past (ta)潜伏した(せんぷくした)
polite (mashita)潜伏しました(せんぷくしました)
Past negative (nakatta)潜伏しなかった(せんぷくしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)潜伏しませんでした(せんぷくしませんでした)
Te form潜伏して(せんぷくして)
Potential潜伏できる(せんぷくできる)
Passive潜伏される(せんぷくされる)
Causative潜伏させる(せんぷくさせる)
Causative passive潜伏させられる(せんぷくさせられる)
Conditional (ba)潜伏すれば(せんぷくすれば)
tara潜伏したら(せんぷくしたら)
Volitional潜伏しよう(せんぷくしよう)
polite (mashou)潜伏しましょう(せんぷくしましょう)
Imperative潜伏しろ(せんぷくしろ)

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

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym隠れるかくれるNeutralThe everyday word for hiding or being hidden from view; neutral and the most common choice in speech, but not specifically about hiding to evade pursuers.
  • Related伏するふくするWrittenWritten, old-fashioned verb: to crouch or prostrate oneself, also to submit or hide; unlike 「潜伏」, it has no sense of germs lying dormant.
  • Related隠伏いんぷくWrittenWritten and rather rare word for something lying hidden inside without surfacing; its focus is more on the hidden state than on someone going into hiding.
  • Antonym露見ろけんWrittenAntonym, mainly written: a plot, misdeed or secret coming to light; the opposite of 「潜伏」, which is about staying hidden and undetected.
  • Antonym顕在けんざいWrittenAntonym, mainly written: existing openly and plainly where 「潜伏」 suggests something latent, hidden beneath the surface.

Use 「潜伏」 for hiding so as not to be found, or for an infection not yet showing symptoms, as in 「潜伏期間」 and 「犯人が潜伏する」. In everyday speech say 「隠れる」; 「露見」 and 「顕在」 are its written antonyms.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 見みつからないように隠かくれること。
  2. 病気びょうきに感染かんせんしているがまだ発症はっしょうしていないこと。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

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