ねぎらう

ね

ぎ

ら

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

ねぎらう · godan verb (-u)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	ねぎらう	ねぎらわない
Polite	ねぎらいます	ねぎらいません
Past polite	ねぎらいました	ねぎらいませんでした
Past	ねぎらった	ねぎらわなかった
Te-form	ねぎらって	ねぎらわないで
Desire	ねぎらいたい	ねぎらいたくない
Potential	ねぎらえる	ねぎらえない
Passive	ねぎらわれる	ねぎらわれない
Causative	ねぎらわせる	ねぎらわせない
Causative passive	ねぎらわせられるalso ねぎらわされる	ねぎらわせられないalso ねぎらわされない
Volitional	ねぎらおう
Polite volitional	ねぎらいましょう
Imperative	ねぎらえ	ねぎらうな
Conditional	ねぎらえば	ねぎらわなければ
Tara conditional	ねぎらったら	ねぎらわなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

show appreciation for efforts; thank for hard work; reward for service

usually written using kana alone

Used to express gratitude or recognition for someone's hard work or service, typically toward equals or subordinates, not superiors.

社しゃ長ちょうは社しゃ員いんの努ど力りょくをねぎらった。
The company president showed appreciation for the employees' efforts.
ボランティアの皆みなさんをねぎらうために、ささやかなパーティーを開ひらいた。
We held a small party to thank the volunteers for their hard work.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Kanji

労labor, thank for, reward for
犒thanks, reward

Related words

いたわるN1
労う directly thanks or rewards someone for their hard work, while 労る keeps a softer nuance of sympathetic consideration alongside any praise.
休やすめるN1
労う means to thank or comfort someone for their efforts, while 休める focuses narrowly on giving physical rest.
慰なぐさめるN2
労う means to thank and show appreciation for someone's hard work or effort, while 慰める is about easing someone's emotional pain.

Word family

ねぎらい
appreciation; thanks; recognition of effort

Written forms

ねぎらうUsage83%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 労う is less common.
労ねぎらうUsage10%
Kanji form; less common than kana.
犒ねぎらうUsage7%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Derived from the classical verb ねぎらふ, which combined ねぎ (prayer for good harvest) and あふ (meet, treat). The modern meaning shifted from 'treat with prayer' to 'show appreciation for efforts'.