引く · godan verb (-ku)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 引く | 引かない |
| Polite | 引きます | 引きません |
| Past polite | 引きました | 引きませんでした |
| Past | 引いた | 引かなかった |
| Te-form | 引いて | 引かないで |
| Desire | 引きたい | 引きたくない |
| Potential | 引ける | 引けない |
| Passive | 引かれる | 引かれない |
| Causative | 引かせる | 引かせない |
| Causative passive | 引かせられるalso 引かされる | 引かせられないalso 引かされない |
| Volitional | 引こう | |
| Polite volitional | 引きましょう | |
| Imperative | 引け | 引くな |
| Conditional | 引けば | 引かなければ |
| Tara conditional | 引いたら | 引かなかったら |
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Physical pulling: drawing something toward oneself, tugging, or leading an animal.
Please pull the door open.
I walked leading the horse by the reins.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
attract; draw (attention, interest)
Metaphorical pulling: drawing attention, interest, or sympathy. Often used with 注意, 関心, 同情. Also written as 惹く.
See also: 注意を引く
The advertisement attracted consumers' attention.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
pull back; draw in (hand, chin, stomach)
Pulling a body part inward or backward, such as retracting one's hand or sucking in one's stomach.
I touched the hot pot and instinctively pulled my hand back.
Please pull in your stomach when taking the photo.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Drawing a card from a deck, a mahjong tile, or similar game piece.
Please draw one card.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Drawing a line, diagram, or plan. Common with 線, 図面, 設計図.
See also: 図面を引く
I drew a straight line with a ruler.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Used almost exclusively with 風邪 (cold).
See also: 風邪をひく
I caught a cold yesterday.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
play (stringed or keyboard instrument)
Usually written as 弾く. Used for instruments like piano, guitar, violin.
She quietly plays the koto.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
look up; consult (dictionary, reference)
Looking up information in a dictionary, phone book, or other reference.
See also: 辞書を引く
I looked up the unknown word in the dictionary.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
haul; tow (vehicles)
Pulling or towing vehicles or heavy loads. Especially written as 牽く.
The truck towed the broken-down car.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Mathematical subtraction or deducting an amount.
Subtract 3 from 10 and you get 7.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Intransitive: water receding, tide ebbing, color fading. Often written as 退く.
The floodwaters finally receded.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
be descended from; inherit (a trait)
Used for lineage or inheriting a characteristic. Often in the pattern ~の血を引く.
He is descended from a famous painter.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
quote; cite; raise (as evidence)
Citing a source, quoting a passage, or raising something as evidence.
I explained by citing statistical data in the report.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
install (utility); lay on (electricity, gas); supply (water)
Installing or connecting utilities such as electricity, gas, water, or telephone lines.
I had gas installed in my new house.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Sustaining a musical note.
The singer held the last note for a long time.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
Applying a thin layer of something onto a surface, such as lipstick, oil, or wax.
I oil the pan before cooking the meat.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
Intransitive: physically moving backward or retreating. Also written as 退く.
The enemy fell back under attack.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
lessen; subside; go down (swelling)
Intransitive: swelling going down, pain subsiding, fever lessening. Also written as 退く.
Please keep it cool until the swelling goes down.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
Intransitive: stepping down from a position or retiring. Also written as 退く.
The president took responsibility and resigned.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
be put off; recoil; cringe
Colloquial intransitive: being turned off or disgusted by someone's words or behavior; recoiling emotionally.
I was put off by his rude attitude.
I led the horse by the rein and walked through the pasture.
I drew one card from the deck.
I drew a straight line in my notebook.
If you subtract 3 from 10, you get 7.
I had electricity connected to the new house.
I put on lipstick before going out.
She held the last note for a long time.
I bought a present to try to catch her interest.
引く means to subtract a number, the opposite arithmetic operation to 足す, which means to add a number.
惹く is reserved for attracting attention, interest, or affection, while 引く is the broader, all-purpose spelling used for physical pulling as well.
轢く means 'run over' with a vehicle, while 引く (same reading ひく) means 'pull', 'draw', or 'subtract' and has nothing to do with vehicles.
引く means 'to pull' and is a common everyday verb, whereas 引ける (a different, less common verb) means 'to close for the day' or, in 気が引ける, 'to feel hesitant.'
drawer · withdrawal (of money) · resourcefulness; fund of knowledge
cause; induce; bring about; provoke · pull upright; help up
undertaking; acceptance; taking on responsibility · underwriting; formal acceptance of risk or obligation
exchange; conversion; swapping
discount; price reduction
pull out; take out; draw out · lead out; summon; bring out · withdraw (money); draw · bring out (talent, potential); extract (information); elicit; derive · get money out of someone; coax out; make someone pay
take over; inherit; carry on · hand over; pass on
handover; taking over; transfer
drag on; be prolonged; linger
delivery; handing over; extradition
shoplifting; shoplifter
reduction; cut; lowering
pickup; collection; acceptance; taking custody · leaving; departure; withdrawal
trigger (of a gun, etc.) · trigger (for something); immediate cause
draw; tie
take on; undertake; accept responsibility for · take over; inherit · vouch for; guarantee · contract a disease
bargaining; haggling · tactics; strategy; maneuvering · tactical advance or retreat of troops
train of a dress; trailing skirt · fashion-obsessed woman; woman who only thinks about clothes
shut-in; hikikomori; person who withdraws from society · social withdrawal; shunning other people
guidance; leading; assistance · introduction; connections; influence · guide; guidebook; manual; primer
tightening; firming up; toning
reference; example; instance cited · business inquiry; commercial enquiry; expression of interest · summons to court; witness · pulling against each other; pulling from both ends
turning back; returning
pull toward oneself; draw closer · attract; draw in; entice
delineation; demarcation; drawing a boundary · drawing a line (between acceptable and unacceptable) · ruler (measuring tool)
take possession of; receive; collect; claim · take into one's care; take custody of; adopt · leave; withdraw; go away
drag; trail; pull along the ground · drag along; force to come · prolong; drag out · be influenced; be swayed; be drawn in