Translation guide
The English verb 'satisfy' covers several related ideas: meeting requirements, fulfilling desires, and convincing someone. Japanese uses different expressions depending on the nuance.
To fulfill a formal condition, requirement, or standard.
The most common and versatile verb for satisfying conditions, requirements, or needs. Used in both formal and everyday contexts.
Does this satisfy the conditions?
He satisfied the admission requirements.
A formal term often used in legal, business, or technical contexts to mean satisfying conditions or requirements.
It is necessary to satisfy the contract requirements.
To give someone what they want or need, making them content.
The causative form of 満足 (satisfaction). It means to make someone satisfied or content. Commonly used for desires, customers, or personal needs.
This result did not satisfy him.
We provide services that satisfy customers.
Also used for satisfying emotional or physical needs, such as hunger or curiosity. Often used with words like 食欲 (appetite) or 好奇心 (curiosity).
Intransitive: to be satisfied. Use this when the subject is the person who feels satisfied, not the thing causing satisfaction.
He was satisfied with the result.
To provide enough evidence or argument to make someone believe something.
To make someone understand and accept something; to convince. Often used when satisfying someone's doubts or questions.
His explanation did not satisfy me (did not convince me).
The evidence satisfied the jury.
Intransitive: to be convinced or satisfied with an explanation. Use when the subject accepts something as reasonable.
He was satisfied with the reason.
To pay off or fulfill a financial or legal obligation.
満たす is used for satisfying conditions, needs, or appetites directly. 満足させる is causative and means to make someone feel satisfied. Use 満たす for things like requirements (条件を満たす) and 満足させる for people (顧客を満足させる).
満足する is intransitive (to be satisfied). To say 'X satisfies Y', use 満足させる (causative) or 満たす. Saying XがYを満足する is incorrect.
This result satisfied him.
彼は食欲を満たした。
He satisfied his appetite.
That book satisfied my curiosity.