Translation guide
How to express the idea of treating someone (to a meal, drink, etc.) or treating someone in a certain way in Japanese.
The speaker pays for someone else's meal, drink, or outing as a treat or invitation.
The most common verb for treating someone to a meal or drink. It implies the speaker will pay. Can be used casually among friends or in semi-formal situations.
I'll treat you today.
My senior treated me to lunch.
A slightly more polite way to say 'treat someone to a meal.' Often used when inviting someone out and offering to pay. Can also be used to thank someone for a meal they provided.
I'll treat you tonight.
Thank you for the meal (I was treated).
Noun form meaning 'treat' (as in 'my treat'). Often used in casual speech.
It's my treat today.
Kanji form of おごる, sometimes seen in writing. Same meaning but less common in casual writing.
I'll treat you today.
Describing how one person behaves toward or deals with another person.
General verb for 'treat' or 'handle' a person. Can be used for both positive and negative treatment. Often used with adverbs like 大切に (carefully) or ぞんざいに (roughly).
He treats me like a child.
Focuses on how one interacts with or relates to someone. Often used for interpersonal attitudes, such as being kind, cold, or fair.
Formal term for 'treat' in terms of reception, hospitality, or employment conditions. Often used in business or official contexts.
Providing medical treatment or care to a person.
Standard verb for medical treatment. Used for doctors treating patients or for treating illnesses/injuries.
The doctor treats the patient.
Can this illness be treated?
Refers to first aid or immediate care, often for wounds. Less formal than 治療する.
The nurse treated the injury.
Both mean 'to treat someone to a meal/drink.' おごる is more casual and commonly used among friends. ごちそうする is slightly more polite and can be used in semi-formal invitations. ごちそうする also appears in the set phrase ごちそうさまでした to thank someone for a meal they provided.
I treated my friend to lunch.
I treated my boss to dinner.
English 'treat someone' can mean many things. Do not use a single Japanese word for all meanings. For paying for someone, use おごる or ごちそうする. For behavior, use 扱う or 接する. For medical treatment, use 治療する. Using the wrong verb can cause confusion.
He always treats me with respect.
The doctor treated her for a cold.
Please treat the customers politely.
彼女は誰にでも優しく接する。
She treats everyone kindly.
That teacher treats students strictly.
The company must treat its employees fairly.
I treated him (to a meal).