工夫
工夫する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 工夫する | 工夫しない |
| Polite | 工夫します | 工夫しません |
| Past polite | 工夫しました | 工夫しませんでした |
| Past | 工夫した | 工夫しなかった |
| Te-form | 工夫して | 工夫しないで |
| Desire | 工夫したい | 工夫したくない |
| Potential | 工夫できる | 工夫できない |
| Passive | 工夫される | 工夫されない |
| Causative | 工夫させる | 工夫させない |
| Causative passive | 工夫させられる | 工夫させられない |
| Volitional | 工夫しよう | |
| Polite volitional | 工夫しましょう | |
| Imperative | 工夫しろ | 工夫するな |
| Conditional | 工夫すれば | 工夫しなければ |
| Tara conditional | 工夫したら | 工夫しなかったら |
Meanings
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
devising; contriving; figuring out
The act of thinking creatively to find a way, solve a problem, or come up with a method. Often used with する to mean 'devise', 'work out', or 'come up with'.
We need to devise a new method.
He is always thinking up interesting ideas.
The result of devising: a clever idea, design, or contrivance. Used as a noun for the thing thought up.
This is one of his inventions.
A small device made the work easier.
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
dedication to spiritual improvement (esp. Zen)
Specialized Buddhist term for applying oneself diligently to spiritual practice, especially through Zen meditation. Rare in everyday language.
At the Zen temple, the monks are devoting themselves to spiritual improvement.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉を工夫するto devise or come up with (a method, tool, etc.)
He came up with a new teaching method.
- 〈事〉に工夫が要るto need ingenuity for something
Solving this problem requires some ingenuity.
- 〈物〉に一工夫加えるto add a clever extra touch to something
I added a clever twist to the recipe to make it tastier.
- 工夫を重ねるto repeatedly refine one's ideas or methods
The craftsman perfected this technique through years of refining his methods.
Expressions
- 工夫を凝らすexercise one's ingenuity; devise an ingenious plan