耕す|たがやすtagayasu[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

JLPT N2approx.Common
Definitions
  1. godan verb, transitive verbto till; to plow; to plough; to cultivate
    農家のうかの人ひと達たちは鋤すきで土つちを耕たがやす。↗
    Farmers turn up the soil with plows.
Conjugation
Dictionary form耕す(たがやす)
Polite (masu)耕します(たがやします)
Negative (nai)耕さない(たがやさない)
polite (masen)耕しません(たがやしません)
classical zu / nu耕さず・耕さぬ(たがやさず・たがやさぬ)
Past (ta)耕した(たがやした)
polite (mashita)耕しました(たがやしました)
Past negative (nakatta)耕さなかった(たがやさなかった)
polite (masen deshita)耕しませんでした(たがやしませんでした)
Te form耕して(たがやして)
Potential耕せる(たがやせる)
Passive耕される(たがやされる)
Causative耕させる(たがやさせる)
Causative passive耕させられる(たがやさせられる)
Conditional (ba)耕せば(たがやせば)
tara耕したら(たがやしたら)
Volitional耕そう(たがやそう)
polite (mashou)耕しましょう(たがやしましょう)
Imperative耕せ(たがやせ)

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

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym耕作こうさくWrittenWritten-register noun for cultivating farmland, as in 「耕作放棄地」; 「耕す」 is the verb for turning over soil.
  • Synonym鋤くすくNeutralTurning soil with a spade or plow; 「耕す」 is more general and can also figuratively mean cultivating the mind.
  • Related培うつちかうNeutralFor fostering abilities or character, as in 「友情を培う」; 「耕す」 literally means tilling the soil.
  • Related掘り起こすほりおこすNeutralDigging something up, also figuratively unearthing talent or demand; 「耕す」 is about tilling soil.
  • Related鋤き起こすすきおこすNeutralLifting soil up by digging or plowing; 「耕す」 refers to tilling a field as a whole.
  • Related鋤き返すすきかえすNeutralTurning the soil over, bringing lower earth up; 「耕す」 is the more general term.
  • Related畑打ちはたうちWrittenA written term and haiku season word for tilling dry fields in spring.
  • Antonym荒らすあらすNeutralThe antonym in cultivation versus neglect: to let fields go to waste or to devastate them.
  • Antonym休耕するWrittenA written/formal term; the antonym in whether land is farmed: to leave a field fallow, idle.

Use 「耕す」 for tilling soil and figuratively for nurturing the mind; 「耕作」 is the written noun for farming, 「鋤く」 for turning soil with a spade or plow, and 「培う」 for building ability or character. Antonyms: 「荒らす」 (laying waste) and 「休耕する」 (leaving fields fallow).

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 土つちを掘り返ほりかえし、田畑たはたを作つくる。
  2. (田畑たはたの)土つちを掘り返ほりかえして柔やわらかくする。
  3. (比喩的ひゆてき)開拓かいたくする。整備せいびする。掘り下ほりさげる。作つくる。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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