辞める・罷める・退める|やめるyameru[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
辞める辞める is the most common form and the recommended choice for beginners. It uses a kanji-and-kana mixed spelling.
罷める罷める is less common than 辞める. It is another kanji-and-kana mixed spelling of the same word.
退める退める is less common than both 辞める and 罷める. It uses an irregular kanji choice in a kanji-and-kana mixed spelling.
Definitions
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto resign; to retire; to quit; to leave (one's job, etc.)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 辞める（やめる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 辞めます（やめます） |
| Negative (nai) | 辞めない（やめない） |
| polite (masen) | 辞めません（やめません） |
| classical zu / nu | 辞めず・辞めぬ（やめず・やめぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 辞めた（やめた） |
| polite (mashita) | 辞めました（やめました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 辞めなかった（やめなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 辞めませんでした（やめませんでした） |
| Te form | 辞めて（やめて） |
| Potential | 辞められる（やめられる） |
| Passive | 辞められる（やめられる） |
| Causative | 辞めさせる（やめさせる） |
| Causative passive | 辞めさせられる（やめさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 辞めれば（やめれば） |
| tara | 辞めたら（やめたら） |
| Volitional | 辞めよう（やめよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 辞めましょう（やめましょう） |
| Imperative | 辞めろ（やめろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym辞任じにんWrittenWritten/formal. Resigning from a specific post (「大臣を辞任する」); mostly for high-level positions and news reports, more formal than the everyday 「辞める」.
- Synonym辞職じしょくWrittenWritten/formal. Quitting one's job by one's own decision (「辞職願」「内閣総辞職」); more formal than 「辞める」.
- Synonym辞すじすWrittenWritten/formal. A literary form meaning to resign a post or take one's leave (「職を辞す」); unlike the everyday 「辞める」.
- Synonym退陣たいじんWrittenWritten/formal. A leader or cabinet stepping down (「首相の退陣」); mostly political contexts, unlike the everyday 「辞める」.
- Synonym辞するじするWrittenWritten/formal. Taking one's leave or resigning; also used for refusing (「死をも辞さない」).
- Related降りるおりるNeutralNeutral. Stepping down from a role or quitting (「役を降りる」); also means getting off a bus or train. 「辞める」 is the more direct word for leaving a job.
- RelatedどくNeutralNeutral. Stepping aside or making way (「そこをどけ」); in the resigning sense it is usually read 「しりぞく」. 「辞める」 is the more common word.
- Antonym始めるはじめるNeutralNeutral. To start or begin; it pairs with 「辞める」 only loosely, as taking something up versus quitting it. The plain start/stop pair is 「始める」 and 「止める」.
- Antonym就くつくNeutralNeutral. Taking up a post or position (「職に就く」); the opposite of 「辞める」.
For everyday quitting — a job, school, a club — use 「辞める」. Formal resignation is 「辞職」; leaving a specific post is 「辞任」; a leader or cabinet stepping down is 「退陣」; stepping out of a role is 「降りる」. The opposite of 「辞める」 is 「就く」, taking up a post.
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
