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.
打ち寄せる describes waves surging onto shore, while 引く describes the tide or waves pulling back out.
引く describes the tide ebbing out, the opposite of 満ちる describing the tide rising in.
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