報いる (むくいる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

報むくいる

む

く

い

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

報いる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	報むくいる	報むくいない
Polite	報むくいます	報むくいません
Past polite	報むくいました	報むくいませんでした
Past	報むくいた	報むくいなかった
Te-form	報むくいて	報むくいないで
Desire	報むくいたい	報むくいたくない
Potential	報むくいられるalso 報むくいれる	報むくいられないalso 報むくいれない
Passive	報むくいられる	報むくいられない
Causative	報むくいさせる	報むくいさせない
Causative passive	報むくいさせられる	報むくいさせられない
Volitional	報むくいよう
Polite volitional	報むくいましょう
Imperative	報むくいろ	報むくいるな
Conditional	報むくいれば	報むくいなければ
Tara conditional	報むくいたら	報むくいなかったら

Pairs with報われる

Meanings

ichidan verb, transitive verb, intransitive verb

reward; recompense; repay

Used for returning a favor, kindness, or effort with something positive. Often appears in the passive form 報われる when describing the recipient's perspective.

Kanji

報report, news, reward
酬repay, reward, retribution

Transitive / intransitive

報いる is used both transitively and intransitively: transitively with を (親切を裏切りで報いた, "he repaid kindness with betrayal") and intransitively with に (監督の期待に報いた, "he lived up to the coach's expectations").

報むくわれるN1
報いる is the transitive verb meaning 'to reward/repay someone', while 報われる is its intransitive counterpart describing the subject itself being rewarded.

Related words· 8

仕し返かえし sense 2
報いる is a formal verb covering both reward and retaliation, while 仕返し is the everyday noun (usually with する) used specifically for getting back at someone.
恩おん返がえしN1sense 1
報いる is a formal verb for repaying kindness or a wrong, while 恩返し is the common noun (with する) used specifically for returning a favor received.
復ふく讐しゅうN1

Show 4 more

報ほうずるN1
報いる is the standard verb for repaying a favor or kindness, while 報ずる carries the same sense but in a stiffer, more formal register (as in 恩に報ずる).
報むくう
報いる is the standard modern verb for repaying a favor or an injury, while 報う is an older, literary variant with the same meanings.
応こたえるN2
報いる means to repay or reward someone's efforts, while 応える focuses on living up to expectations rather than repaying a debt.

Don't confuse with

報ほうじるN2
報いる (to repay/retaliate) and 報じる (to report, announce) share the kanji 報 and a similar sound, but have unrelated meanings.

Word family

報むくい
reward; recompense; return · punishment; retribution

Written forms

報むくいるUsage86%
Standard kanji spelling for both rewarding and retaliating senses.
むくいるUsage8%
酬むくいるUsage6%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 報いる is strongly preferred in modern writing.

Etymology

Derived from classical Japanese 報ゆ (mukuyu). The kanji 報 carries meanings of 'repay' or 'report', fitting both positive and negative reciprocation.

報むくいる

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions