もとる

も

と

る

もとる · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	もとる	もとらない
Polite	もとります	もとりません
Past polite	もとりました	もとりませんでした
Past	もとった	もとらなかった
Te-form	もとって	もとらないで
Desire	もとりたい	もとりたくない
Potential	もとれる	もとれない
Passive	もとられる	もとられない
Causative	もとらせる	もとらせない
Causative passive	もとらせられるalso もとらされる	もとらせられないalso もとらされない
Volitional	もとろう
Polite volitional	もとりましょう
Imperative	もとれ	もとるな
Conditional	もとれば	もとらなければ
Tara conditional	もとったら	もとらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

go against; act contrary to; run counter to; deviate from

usually written using kana alone

Used when something goes against a principle, expectation, or standard. Often appears in formal or written contexts with words like 期待 (expectations), 道理 (reason), or 規則 (rules).

彼かれの行こう動どうは期き待たいにもとるものだった。
His actions went against expectations.
その提てい案あんは会かい社しゃの方ほう針しんにもとる。
That proposal runs counter to the company's policy.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Kanji

悖be contrary
戻re-, return, revert

Related words

反はんする
反する is more common and neutral for 'to be contrary to' or 'to violate'. もとる is more literary and often implies a deviation from an ideal or principle.
背そむく
背く means 'to disobey' or 'to betray', often with a stronger sense of turning against a person or authority. もとる is more about going against abstract standards.

Written forms

もとるUsage69%
Usually written in kana. The kanji forms 悖る and 戻る are rare and may be unfamiliar to many readers.
戻もとるUsage18%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form for this meaning; more commonly read as もどる (to return).
悖もとるUsage13%
Rare kanji form; not commonly used in modern writing.

Etymology

Derived from classical Japanese verb もとる, meaning 'to go against' or 'to be twisted'. The kanji 悖 is used specifically for this meaning, while 戻 is a rare alternative. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.