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調べる (しらべる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N5 Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
ichidan verb, transitive verb
examine ; look up ; investigate ; check
Broad transitive verb for actively looking into something to find out information, verify facts, or understand details. Covers looking up a word, checking a fact, investigating a problem, or examining a document.
警けい 察さつ が 事じ 件けん の 原げん 因いん を 調しら べ て いる 。
The police are investigating the cause of the incident.
Written forms 調しら べる Usage 97%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word.
しらべる Usage 3%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and for learners.
Similar words 探さが す 探す means to search for something lost or desired, focusing on locating it. 調べる focuses on examining or looking up information about something already identified.
検けん 査さ する 検査する is more formal and often used for medical tests, inspections, or systematic examinations. 調べる is the everyday word for checking or looking into something.
Etymology Derived from the verb 調ぶ (しらぶ), an older form meaning 'to investigate' or 'to examine', with the ichidan verb suffix 〜る. The kanji 調 carries meanings of 'investigate', 'tune', and 'arrange'.
