Translation guide
The English verb 'encourage' covers a range of supportive actions: giving someone confidence, urging them to do something, or fostering a behavior or development. Japanese expresses these through different verbs and phrases depending on the nuance.
To make someone feel more hopeful, confident, or determined, often through words or presence.
The most direct equivalent for giving emotional encouragement, cheering someone up, or boosting their spirits.
My friend was feeling down, so I encouraged them.
I was encouraged by my teacher's words.
Literally 'to give energy,' used when you cheer someone up or lift their mood.
I told a joke to try to encourage her.
To give courage, often used when someone is facing a challenge or fear.
His success encouraged many young people.
To strongly advise or motivate someone to take a specific action.
To recommend or advise someone to do something, often with a sense of encouragement.
The doctor encouraged me to exercise.
To prompt or urge someone to do something, often used in formal or written contexts.
A straightforward way to say 'told someone to do something' with an encouraging tone, often softened with 〜てみたら or similar.
To create conditions that help something grow or happen, like a habit, activity, or economic growth.
To promote or accelerate something, such as economic growth, trade, or a positive trend.
The new policy encouraged economic growth.
To foster or encourage, but often carries a negative nuance of promoting something undesirable (e.g., bad habits, inflation). Use with care.
Often used for negative things like crime or laziness. For positive encouragement, 促進する is safer.
To officially encourage or promote something, like a government encouraging energy conservation.
The city encourages commuting by bicycle.
励ます is for emotional support (cheering up), while 勧める is for recommending an action. Saying 友達に留学を励ました would be unnatural; use 勧めた instead.
I encouraged my friend (emotionally).
I encouraged my friend to study abroad.
励ます cannot take a verb phrase as its object. To say 'encourage someone to do something,' use 勧める, 促す, or a phrase like 〜するように言う.
He encouraged me to study abroad.
政府は企業に投資を促している。
The government is encouraging companies to invest.
My mother encouraged me to learn cooking.
Spoiling encourages selfishness in children.