写す (うつす, utsusu) Japanese meaning: copy | Kotomora

写うつす

う

つ

す

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

写す · godan verb (-su)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	写うつす	写うつさない
Polite	写うつします	写うつしません
Past polite	写うつしました	写うつしませんでした
Past	写うつした	写うつさなかった
Te-form	写うつして	写うつさないで
Desire	写うつしたい	写うつしたくない
Potential	写うつせる	写うつせない
Passive	写うつされる	写うつされない
Causative	写うつさせる	写うつさせない
Causative passive	写うつさせられる	写うつさせられない
Volitional	写うつそう
Polite volitional	写うつしましょう
Imperative	写うつせ	写うつすな
Conditional	写うつせば	写うつさなければ
Tara conditional	写うつしたら	写うつさなかったら

Pairs with写る

Meanings

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

copy; duplicate; reproduce; trace; transcribe

Broad sense of making a copy: reproducing a document, tracing a picture, transcribing text, or duplicating data.

Kanji

写copy, be photographed, describe
撮snapshot, take pictures

Transitive / intransitive

写うつるN2
写る is the intransitive partner of 写す, describing something appearing or being captured in a photo rather than the act of photographing it.

Related words· 7

撮とるN5sense 4
撮る is the everyday verb for taking photos or filming, while 写す is a slightly more formal or literary way to say the same thing, as in 写真を写す.
コピーN4sense 1
コピーする is a loanword limited to mechanical or digital duplication, while 写す also covers manual copying, tracing, and transcribing.
模も写しゃ sense 1
模写する specifically means to reproduce a painting or drawing exactly, while 写す is a broader, everyday word for copying almost anything.
描びょう写しゃN1sense 2
描写する is a more formal word for depicting or describing something in detail through words or art, while 写す's depicting sense is looser and more everyday.

Show 3 more

真似まねるN2sense 3
真似る means to imitate someone's behavior or manner, while 写す in its imitate sense means to reproduce a model exactly, as in tracing or copying a text.
映うつし出だす
写す means to copy, photograph, or transcribe, whereas 映し出す (often written 写し出す in this sense) stresses vividly portraying or depicting something.
なぞる
写す means to copy or transcribe something (like text or a design), while なぞる specifically implies moving a pen or finger along an existing line.

Don't confuse with

移うつすN4
移す means to move or transfer something from one place to another, while 写す means to copy or reproduce something; the two share the same reading うつす but differ in meaning.
映うつすN2
映す means to project, reflect, or display an image, while 写す means to copy or photograph something; both are read うつす but have distinct meanings.

Word family· 17

写うつしN1
copy; duplicate; transcript · cc; carbon copy
生いき写うつし
lifelike; exact resemblance; spitting image
大おお写うつし
close-up; close-up shot
書かき写うつす

Written forms

写うつすUsage94%
Standard kanji for copying, transcribing, describing, and imitating. Also used for photography, though 撮す is more specific.
うつすUsage4%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the intended kanji nuance is not important.
撮うつすUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form specifically for photography; 写す is overwhelmingly more common even in this sense.

Etymology

The kanji 写 carries the core meaning of 'copy' or 'reflect'. The verb うつす has been used since Old Japanese with a broad sense of transferring or reproducing something. The photography sense is a modern extension.

写うつす

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions