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償う (tsugunau) Japanese meaning: compensate for | Kotomora
Common word› JLPT N1 › Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation 償う · godan verb (-u)
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 償つぐな う 償つぐな わない Polite 償つぐな います 償つぐな いません Past polite 償つぐな いました 償つぐな いませんでした Past 償つぐな った 償つぐな わなかった Te-form 償つぐな って 償つぐな わないで Desire 償つぐな いたい 償つぐな いたくない Potential 償つぐな える 償つぐな えない Passive 償つぐな われる 償つぐな われない Causative 償つぐな わせる 償つぐな わせない Causative passive 償つぐな わせられる also 償つぐな わされる 償つぐな わせられない also 償つぐな わされない Volitional 償つぐな おう Polite volitional 償つぐな いましょう Imperative 償つぐな え 償つぐな うな Conditional 償つぐな えば 償つぐな わなければ Tara conditional 償つぐな ったら 償つぐな わなかったら
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がい
を
償つぐな
っ
た
。
He compensated the victim for the damage.
To atone for his mistake, he started volunteering.
Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 を 〈 物もの 〉 で 償つぐな う to make up for something with money, effort, or one's life
He compensated for the accident's damages with money.
罪つみ を 償つぐな う to atone for a crime or sin
He went to prison to atone for his crime.
過あやま ちを 償つぐな う to make up for a mistake or fault
She tried hard to make up for her own mistake.
〈 人ひと 〉 に 償つぐな う to compensate someone (for harm or loss caused to them)
The company fully compensated the victim.
Expressions 功こう 罪ざい 相あい 償つぐな う good and bad deeds cancel out; merits and demerits offset each other Kanji 償 reparation, make up for, recompense Related words 賠償する is a formal, legal term for official compensation or reparations, while 償う is broader and covers both concrete repayment and moral atonement.
弁償する is used for everyday reimbursement of damages or losses (like paying for a broken item), whereas 償う can also cover deeper moral atonement.
埋め合わせる is casual and focuses on making up for a shortfall or inconvenience, while 償う carries a stronger sense of paying for a fault or wrongdoing.
補う simply means to supplement or make up a deficiency without implying guilt, whereas 償う specifically implies atoning for a loss or wrongdoing.
Etymology Compound of つぐ (to succeed, to inherit) and なう (verb-forming suffix). The kanji 償 carries the meaning of compensation or reparation.