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手を回す (teomawasu) Japanese meaning: pull strings | Kotomora
JLPT N1 › Conjugation 手を回す · godan verb (-su)
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 手て を 回まわ す 手て を 回まわ さない Polite 手て を 回まわ します 手て を 回まわ しません Past polite 手て を 回まわ しました 手て を 回まわ しませんでした Past 手て を 回まわ した 手て を 回まわ さなかった Te-form 手て を 回まわ して 手て を 回まわ さないで Desire 手て を 回まわ したい 手て を 回まわ したくない Potential 手て を 回まわ せる 手て を 回まわ せない Passive 手て を 回まわ される 手て を 回まわ されない Causative 手て を 回まわ させる 手て を 回まわ させない Causative passive 手て を 回まわ させられる 手て を 回まわ させられない Volitional 手て を 回まわ そう Polite volitional 手て を 回まわ しましょう Imperative 手て を 回まわ せ 手て を 回まわ すな Conditional 手て を 回まわ せば 手て を 回まわ さなければ Tara conditional 手て を 回まわ したら 手て を 回まわ さなかったら
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に
手て
を
回まわ
し
て
、
許きょ
可か
を
早はや
く
取と
っ
た
。
He pulled strings with a politician and got the permit quickly.
I made the necessary arrangements before the event.
Related words 根回し is the specific business/political term for laying groundwork and building consensus beforehand, while 手を回す is a broader idiom for using influence or connections to get something done.
手配 is a neutral noun/suru-verb for making practical arrangements (like tickets or logistics), whereas 手を回す implies pulling strings through personal connections, often discreetly.
画策 carries a stronger negative nuance of scheming or plotting, while 手を回す can be neutral or even positive, simply meaning to use influence to arrange something.
手を回す means to secretly arrange things in advance, whereas 手を打つ is more neutral and can refer to any proactive measure, secret or open.
Don't confuse with 手を打つ means to settle a deal or take a decisive measure, while 手を回す means to secretly use influence or connections behind the scenes.
手を回す is transitive, meaning to secretly arrange things or pull strings behind the scenes, while 手が回る is intransitive, describing being stretched too thin with tasks or being tracked down by pursuers.
Written forms 手て を 回まわ す
Standard kanji spelling for the idiom.
手て をまわす
Kana spelling of the verb part; sometimes used for clarity or in informal writing.
Etymology Literally 'to turn one's hand', the idiom figuratively extends the idea of manually directing something to using one's influence or making arrangements behind the scenes.
