Translation guide
The English verb 'gather' covers several related ideas: bringing things or people together, collecting information or resources, and concluding or inferring. This guide organizes the most useful Japanese expressions by these core meanings.
To cause people or objects to come together, often for a purpose.
The most common transitive verb for gathering people or things. Used for both concrete objects and abstract items like information.
資料を集めてください。
Please gather the materials.
彼はクラスメートを集めた。
He gathered his classmates.
Intransitive: people or things gather (come together) on their own. Use when the subject itself assembles.
公園に人がたくさん集まった。
A lot of people gathered in the park.
Formal or official gathering, often used for scheduled assemblies or military contexts.
全員、ロビーに集合してください。
Everyone, please gather in the lobby.
To accumulate items, facts, or materials over time, often through effort.
Same verb as above, but here the focus is on amassing data, evidence, or supplies.
アンケートで意見を集めています。
We are gathering opinions through a survey.
Formal term for systematic collection, such as data, stamps, or waste.
ゴミの収集は火曜日です。
Garbage collection is on Tuesdays.
To store up, save, or accumulate resources like money, food, or energy. Not for people.
To deduce or realize something from available information.
A natural pattern meaning 'it is understood that...' or 'I gather that...'. Often used with ようだ or らしい.
彼の話から、事情がわかった。
From his story, I gathered what was going on.
To sense, infer, or gather from subtle cues. Often used when reading between the lines.
彼の沈黙から、何かを察した。
I gathered something from his silence.
To build up or accumulate force or pace.
Intransitive/transitive verb meaning to increase. Often used with 勢い (momentum) or 速度 (speed).
車は徐々に速度を増した。
The car gradually gathered speed.
Intransitive: to become stronger, intensify. Used for wind, rain, or momentum.
To pull cloth into pleats or gathers, as in sewing.
To draw or gather fabric. Also used for pushing things to one side.
スカートのウエストを寄せて縫う。
Gather the waist of the skirt and sew.
集める is transitive (someone gathers things/people), while 集まる is intransitive (things/people gather). Use を with 集める and が/は with 集まる.
English 'I gather that...' is not directly translated with 集める. Use patterns like 〜とわかる or 〜ようだ to express inference naturally.
冬に備えて食料を蓄える。
They gather food supplies for the winter.
風が強まってきた。
The wind is gathering strength.