Translation guide
How to express 'treat someone' in Japanese, covering hospitality, paying for someone, medical treatment, and general behavior toward others.
To pay for someone's food, drink, or entertainment as a host or generous gesture.
The most common verb for treating someone to a meal or drink. Often used in casual and semi-formal settings.
今日は私がおごるよ。
I'll treat you today.
先輩にランチをおごってもらった。
My senior treated me to lunch.
Literally 'to feast someone', implying a more elaborate or formal treat. Can be used for meals or experiences.
今夜は私がごちそうします。
I'll treat you tonight (to a nice meal).
Noun form meaning 'my treat' or 'on me'. Often used in casual invitations.
今日は私のおごりだ。
Today it's my treat.
To act or behave toward someone in a specified manner, such as kindly, badly, fairly, etc.
Pattern: [person]に[adverb]接する. Used for describing how you treat someone (kindly, coldly, etc.). The adverb is often the -く form of an adjective.
彼は誰にでも親切に接する。
He treats everyone kindly.
上司は部下に冷たく接した。
The boss treated his subordinates coldly.
Pattern: [person]を[adverb]扱う. Similar to 接する but can imply more active handling or management. Often used for 'treat unfairly' or 'treat like a child'.
彼は私を子供のように扱う。
He treats me like a child.
あの先生は生徒を平等に扱う。
That teacher treats students equally.
Formal term for 'treat' in terms of reception, hospitality, or employment conditions. Often used in business or official contexts.
会社は従業員を公平に待遇すべきだ。
Companies should treat employees fairly.
To provide medical care or treatment to a patient.
General verb for medical treatment. Used for both physical and mental conditions.
医者が患者を治療する。
The doctor treats the patient.
この病気は治療できますか？
Can this illness be treated?
Literally 'to give first-aid/treatment'. Often used for immediate care or wound treatment.
看護師がけがの手当てをした。
The nurse treated the injury.
Used specifically for a doctor examining or treating a patient. Often written as 診る to distinguish from 'see'.
先生に診てもらいなさい。
Go get treated by the doctor.
To provide someone with a special experience or gift, not necessarily a meal.
Used when treating someone to a gift or experience. The object is the thing given.
彼女に旅行をプレゼントした。
I treated her to a trip.
Can be extended metaphorically to non-food treats, but primarily for meals.
映画をごちそうするよ。
I'll treat you to a movie.
おごる is casual and commonly used among friends or colleagues when one person pays. ごちそうする implies a more formal or lavish treat, often used when inviting someone to a nice restaurant or preparing a special meal.
友達にラーメンをおごった。
I treated my friend to ramen.
両親にフレンチをごちそうした。
I treated my parents to French cuisine.
Do not use 扱う (atsukau) for treating someone to a meal. 扱う means 'handle' or 'deal with' and would sound like you are handling a person as an object. Use おごる or ごちそうする instead.
彼に夕食を扱った。
I treated him to dinner. (incorrect, sounds like 'I handled him dinner')