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やる Japanese meaning | Kotomora

やる

や

る

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 100

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

do; perform; play; study

usually written using kana alonecolloquial

Very common colloquial substitute for する in everyday speech, especially for activities, games, practice, and study. It can sound more casual than する.

See also: する

週しゅう末

まつ

は

何なに

を

やる

の

？

What are you going to do this weekend?

最さい近きん、友ともだちと将しょう棋ぎをやっている。

Recently I have been playing shogi with a friend.

毎まい日にち少すこしずつ英えい語ごをやる。

I study a little English every day.

2

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

usually written using kana alone

Used for sending a person, animal, or thing off somewhere. Often plainer and more conversational than 派遣する or 送る.

本ほん社しゃから技ぎ術じゅつ者しゃを現げん場ばにやった。
Head office sent an engineer to the site.

3

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

put; move; turn one's gaze

usually written using kana alone

Often used with body parts or attention, as in 手をやる or 視線をやる, meaning to move or direct something toward a place.

彼かれはポケットに手てをやった。
He put his hand into his pocket.
窓まどの外そとに視し線せんをやると、雪ゆきが降ふっていた。
When I turned my gaze outside the window, snow was falling.

4

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

give; let have; bestow

usually written using kana alone

Plain giving to someone of equal or lower status, to animals, or to plants. With people it can sound blunt or superior, so あげる is safer in polite contexts.

犬いぬにえさをやる。
I feed the dog.
弟おとうとに古ふるい自じ転てん車しゃをやった。
I gave my younger brother my old bicycle.

5

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

make a vehicle go faster; drive onward

usually written using kana alone

Limited and old-fashioned or rough-sounding use for urging a vehicle or mount onward; modern Japanese would usually use 飛ばす, 走らせる, or speed-related expressions.

「車くるまをもっとやれ」は、乗のり物ものを速はやく進すすませる意い味みの古ふるい言いい方かたとして扱あつかわれる。
車をもっとやれ is treated as an old expression meaning to make a vehicle go faster.

6

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

run a business; be engaged in; practice a profession

usually written using kana alone

Common with shops, businesses, jobs, hobbies, and professions: 店をやる, 医者をやる, バンドをやる.

父ちちは駅えき前まえで小ちいさな店みせをやっている。
My father runs a small shop in front of the station.
彼かの女じょは十じゅう年ねんほど弁べん護ご士しをやっている。
She has been practicing as a lawyer for about ten years.

7

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

have a drink; eat; smoke

usually written using kana alone

Casual and sometimes masculine-sounding with food, alcohol, or tobacco. 一杯やる is a fixed everyday expression meaning to have a drink.

仕し事ごとの後あとで一いっ杯ぱいやろう。
Let's have a drink after work.
彼かれはタバコをやらない。
He doesn't smoke.

8

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

hold a performance; perform; show

usually written using kana alone

Used for staging or putting on a show, concert, play, movie, or similar event. The kanji 演る may be used for this meaning, but やる is the usual kana form.

See also: 演る

来らい月げつ、駅えき前まえのホールでライブをやる。
They are holding a live show at the hall in front of the station next month.
あの劇げき場じょうでは毎まい晩ばん芝しば居いをやっている。
That theater puts on a play every night.

9

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

ease one's mind; divert oneself

usually written using kana alone

Rare, literary use seen especially in expressions like 心をやる, meaning to comfort, divert, or let one's mind be at ease.

「心こころをやる」は、気き晴ばらしをして心こころを慰なぐさめるという古こ風ふうな言いい方かただ。
心をやる is an old-fashioned expression meaning to comfort or divert one's mind.

10

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

harm; injure; kill

colloquialusually written using kana alone

Colloquial and rough; often implies beating, taking down, or killing someone. The related spelling 殺る makes the violent sense explicit.

See also: 殺る

映えい画がでは、主しゅ人じん公こうが最さい後ごに敵てきをやる。
In the movie, the hero takes down the enemy at the end.

11

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

have sex; fuck; bang

usually written using kana aloneslangvulgar expression or word

Vulgar sexual slang. Often written ヤる to signal this meaning and avoid ambiguity with ordinary やる.

あいつ、昨日きのうあの子ことヤったらしい。
I hear that guy had sex with her yesterday.

12

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

live; get by; get along

usually written using kana alone

Intransitive use meaning to manage one's life or situation somehow. Very common in forms such as やっている and やっていく.

See also: やって行く · やって来る

今いまの給きゅう料りょうだけでやっていくのは大たい変へんだ。
It is hard to get by on my current salary alone.
彼かれは新あたらしい職しょく場ばでもうまくやっている。
He is getting along well at his new workplace.

13

suffix, godan verb (-ru)

do completely; finish doing

usually written using kana alone

Suffix after the masu-stem of a verb, often in negative or literary forms such as 明けやらぬ or 消えやらぬ, meaning that something has not fully completed.

明あけやらぬ空そらに星ほしがまだ残のこっていた。
Stars still remained in the sky before dawn had fully broken.
消きえやらぬ不ふ安あんが胸むねに残のこった。
A lingering unease that had not completely disappeared remained in my heart.

14

suffix, godan verb (-ru)

do broadly; do toward a distance

usually written using kana alone

Suffix after the masu-stem of a verb, especially in literary-looking compounds such as 見やる or 眺めやる, describing looking or extending an action outward or far away.

彼かれは丘おかの上うえから遠とおくの海うみを眺ながめやった。
He gazed out at the distant sea from the hill.

15

auxiliary verb, godan verb (-ru)

do for someone; do to someone

usually written using kana alone

Auxiliary after the te-form. It can mean doing something for someone of equal or lower status, or doing something to someone with a rough, sometimes hostile or defiant tone.

弟おとうとの宿しゅく題だいを手伝てつだってやった。
I helped my younger brother with his homework.
いつか見み返かえしてやる。
Someday I'll show them.

16

auxiliary verb, godan verb (-ru)

make an effort to; be determined to

usually written using kana alone

Auxiliary after the te-form expressing strong personal resolve or active effort: 'I'll make sure I do it.' Casual and forceful.

今こん度どこそ一人ひとりで完かん成せいさせてやる。
This time I'll make sure to finish it by myself.
絶ぜっ対たいに合ごう格かくしてやる。
I am determined to pass.

Written forms

やるUsage100%
Usual modern spelling for this highly polysemous verb; the senses are usually written in kana.
遣やるUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Attested kanji form, but marked as rarely used; kana やる is normally preferred.
行やるUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Attested search-only kanji form; not recommended as a normal written form.
ヤるUsage<1%
search-only kana form
Katakana-mixed slang spelling used especially for the vulgar sexual sense; this spelling for that sense.
ヤルUsage<1%

Kanji

遣dispatch, despatch, send
行going, journey, carry out

Similar words

する
The neutral basic verb 'to do.' やる can replace it in casual speech for many activities, but やる has many additional meanings such as give, get by, and auxiliary uses.
あげる
A safer and politer everyday verb for giving to someone. やる is natural for animals, plants, and lower-status recipients, but can sound blunt when used for people.
行おこなう
More formal for carrying out events, ceremonies, operations, or procedures. やる is much more conversational.
営いとなむ
More formal or written for running a business or conducting a livelihood. 店をやる is plain and conversational.
してあげる
Politer and warmer for doing something for someone. してやる is casual, can imply the recipient is lower status, and may sound rough or defiant.

Etymology

A native Japanese verb with very broad historical development. The kanji 遣る is conventionally associated with sending, dispatching, or causing something to go, but the usual modern spelling is kana やる; the exact development of all colloquial and auxiliary senses is not specified.