Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
応対 (outai) Japanese meaning: dealing with people | Kotomora
Common word› JLPT N2 › Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation 応対する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 応おう 対たい する 応おう 対たい しない Polite 応おう 対たい します 応おう 対たい しません Past polite 応おう 対たい しました 応おう 対たい しませんでした Past 応おう 対たい した 応おう 対たい しなかった Te-form 応おう 対たい して 応おう 対たい しないで Desire 応おう 対たい したい 応おう 対たい したくない Potential 応おう 対たい できる 応おう 対たい できない Passive 応おう 対たい される 応おう 対たい されない Causative 応おう 対たい させる 応おう 対たい させない Causative passive 応おう 対たい させられる 応おう 対たい させられない Volitional 応おう 対たい しよう Polite volitional 応おう 対たい しましょう Imperative 応おう 対たい しろ 応おう 対たい するな Conditional 応おう 対たい すれば 応おう 対たい しなければ Tara conditional 応おう 対たい したら 応おう 対たい しなかったら
Report an issue with this page
たい
する
。
I politely handle phone calls from customers.
I am attending to visitors at the reception desk.
Dealing with complaints requires care.
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 に 応おう 対たい する to attend to/deal with a person (visitor, caller, etc.)
The receptionist attended to the customer politely.
電でん 話わ に 応おう 対たい する to answer/handle a phone call
The new employee is practicing answering phone calls.
応おう 対たい が 〈 形けい 容よう 詞し 〉 the reception/handling (of visitors, calls) is [adjective]
That hotel's reception staff were kind.
〈 人ひと 〉 の 応おう 対たい をする to handle/receive someone
The manager attended to the customer who came into the store.
Kanji 対 vis-a-vis, opposite, even Related words· 7 接客 specifically means serving or waiting on customers in a shop or business, while 応対 covers dealing with any visitor, caller, or inquiry, not just paying customers.
接待 implies entertaining guests with hospitality such as meals or drinks, often for business purposes, whereas 応対 is the more neutral act of receiving and handling people.
応対する is used specifically for receiving or responding to customers and visitors, while 接する is broader and describes one's general manner of treating people.
応接 refers specifically to receiving and dealing with visitors or guests, while 応対 is a broader word for responding to people in general, including phone calls and customer inquiries.
Show 3 more 応対する is a neutral, formal term for responding to visitors or customers, while あしらう often carries a nuance of brushing someone off or handling them dismissively.
応対 specifically refers to receiving and dealing with people, such as visitors or phone calls, whereas 対応 has a broader scope including abstract problems and technical compatibility.
応対 is specifically about how staff receive and respond to customers or visitors, whereas 待遇 covers treatment more broadly, including long-term employment conditions.
Don't confuse with 応対 and 対応 use the same two kanji in reverse order, but 応対 means specifically dealing with a person face-to-face or by phone, while 対応 is broader, covering abstract responses, measures, or compatibility.
応対 means responding to or dealing with people (e.g. customers), which learners sometimes confuse with 応用 despite the unrelated meaning of 'applying knowledge'.
応対 means to receive or deal with someone (e.g. a customer), while 応酬 means a mutual exchange of words, blows, or favors.
Written forms 応おう 対たい Usage 98%
Standard kanji spelling for dealing with people, attending to visitors, or handling inquiries.
応おう 待たい Usage 2%
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 待 suggests waiting, but this spelling is not standard.
Etymology Compound of 応 (respond, answer) and 対 (face, deal with). The combination naturally yields the meaning of responding to and dealing with people.