かくまう

か

く

ま

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

かくまう · godan verb (-u)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	かくまう	かくまわない
Polite	かくまいます	かくまいません
Past polite	かくまいました	かくまいませんでした
Past	かくまった	かくまわなかった
Te-form	かくまって	かくまわないで
Desire	かくまいたい	かくまいたくない
Potential	かくまえる	かくまえない
Passive	かくまわれる	かくまわれない
Causative	かくまわせる	かくまわせない
Causative passive	かくまわせられるalso かくまわされる	かくまわせられないalso かくまわされない
Volitional	かくまおう
Polite volitional	かくまいましょう
Imperative	かくまえ	かくまうな
Conditional	かくまえば	かくまわなければ
Tara conditional	かくまったら	かくまわなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

shelter; harbor; hide; give refuge to

usually written using kana alone

Used for hiding or protecting a person (often a fugitive, criminal, or someone in trouble) from authorities or pursuers. Implies deliberate concealment.

彼かれは逃とう亡ぼう者しゃをかくまった罪つみで逮たい捕ほされた。
He was arrested for sheltering a fugitive.
友ゆう人じんは私わたしを警けい察さつからかくまってくれた。
My friend hid me from the police.

See all 12 example sentences ›

Expressions

犯はん人にんを匿かくまうshelter a criminal; harbor a fugitive

Kanji

匿hide, shelter, shield
囲surround, besiege, store

Related words

囲かこうN1
匿う specifically means to hide a criminal or fugitive from authorities, a narrower use than the broader 囲う.
隠いん匿とく
匿う specifically means to shelter or give refuge to a person, whereas 隠匿 covers both hiding objects and sheltering people and has a more formal, legal tone.

Written forms

かくまうUsage77%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 匿う, 匿まう, 囲まう are rare and not commonly used.
匿かくまうUsage23%
Rare kanji spelling; the kana form is strongly preferred.
匿かくまう
Rare kanji spelling with okurigana; the kana form is strongly preferred.
囲かくまう
Rare kanji spelling; the kana form is strongly preferred.

Etymology

The historical derivation is uncertain. The kanji 匿 means 'hide' or 'conceal', and the reading かくまう may be related to 隠す (かくす, 'to hide') with an old auxiliary element.