差さし控ひかえる

さ

し

ひ

か

え

る

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, transitive verb

be moderate in; hold back on; not overdo

Used for consciously limiting one's actions, consumption, or speech; often implies self-restraint or prudence.

健けん康こうのために甘あまいものを差さし控ひかえている。
I'm holding back on sweets for my health.
彼かれは発はつ言げんを差さし控ひかえた。
He refrained from speaking.

2

ichidan verb, transitive verb

refrain from; withhold; abstain from

Stronger nuance of deliberately not doing or not disclosing something, often in formal or official contexts.

詳しょう細さいについてはコメントを差さし控ひかえます。
I will refrain from commenting on the details.
発はっ表ぴょうは来らい週しゅうまで差さし控ひかえられた。
The announcement was withheld until next week.

3

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

be nearby; be close by

Rare, archaic intransitive use; modern Japanese normally uses 近くにいる or そばにいる. Found mainly in older texts.

古こ語ごでは「差さし控ひかえる」が「近ちかくにいる」の意いで使つかわれることがある。
In classical language, 差し控える can mean 'to be nearby'.

Written forms

差さし控ひかえるUsage95%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
さしひかえるUsage4%
差さし控ひかえるUsage1%
Variant with simplified 控; less common but acceptable.

Kanji

差distinction, difference, variation
控withdraw, draw in, hold back

Similar words

控ひかえる
控える is broader: 'wait nearby', 'note down', 'refrain'. 差し控える specifically means to hold back or refrain from an action.
遠えん慮りょする
遠慮する is more about hesitating out of politeness or consideration for others. 差し控える is a deliberate, often formal, decision to abstain.

Etymology

Compound of 差し (prefix adding a sense of 'doing something lightly' or 'directing') and 控える (to hold back, wait). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination yields the meaning of holding back or refraining.