恐れる · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 恐れる | 恐れない |
| Polite | 恐れます | 恐れません |
| Past polite | 恐れました | 恐れませんでした |
| Past | 恐れた | 恐れなかった |
| Te-form | 恐れて | 恐れないで |
| Desire | 恐れたい | 恐れたくない |
| Potential | 恐れられるalso 恐れれる | 恐れられないalso 恐れれない |
| Passive | 恐れられる | 恐れられない |
| Causative | 恐れさせる | 恐れさせない |
| Causative passive | 恐れさせられる | 恐れさせられない |
| Volitional | 恐れよう | |
| Polite volitional | 恐れましょう | |
| Imperative | 恐れろ | 恐れるな |
| Conditional | 恐れれば | 恐れなければ |
| Tara conditional | 恐れたら | 恐れなかったら |
ichidan verb, transitive verb
fear; be afraid of
General verb for fearing something or being afraid. Can be used for both concrete threats and abstract anxieties.
He fears death.
You must not be afraid of failure.
He took on the new job without fear of failure.
The president is feared by his employees.
She was afraid of choosing the wrong path in life.
恐れる is a more formal or literary word often used for abstract fears or reverence, whereas 怯える describes a concrete, visible reaction to a threat.
怖い is an adjective describing something as scary, while 恐れる is the verb describing the act of a person fearing it.
恐怖 is a noun meaning 'fear/terror' used in formal or psychological description, while 恐れる is the verb form for the act of fearing.
恐れる means simply 'to fear' or 'to be afraid of,' while 恐れ入る is a set humble expression used for apology, gratitude, or amazement, not literal fear.
fear; anxiety; uneasiness · risk; danger; likelihood · awe; reverence
be sorry; beg pardon; feel small · be much obliged; be grateful; be thankful · be amazed; be greatly impressed; admire · be dumbfounded; be confounded; be stunned; be fed up; be defeated
awesome; awe-inspiring; august · presumptuous; discourteous (to a superior); lacking due respect
fear; dread; fright
fearless; intrepid
Rarely used kanji form.
Search-only kanji form.