払はらう

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

brush off; wipe away; clear away; cut off

Physical removal from a surface or area: dust, snow, dirt, obstacles, or unwanted branches. 掃う is a rare spelling for this kind of sweeping or clearing sense.

• コートについた雪ゆきを手てで払はらった。

  I brushed the snow off my coat with my hand.

• 庭にわ木きの余よ分ぶんな枝えだを払はらった。

  I cut away the extra branches of the garden tree.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

drive away; sweep aside

Used for driving away or clearing out opponents, enemies, or people in one's way. As a simple verb this is less everyday than compounds such as 追い払う or 払いのける.

• 彼かれは群むらがる敵てきを払はらいながら前まえへ進すすんだ。

  He advanced while driving off the enemies swarming around him.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

sell off; dispose of

Limited use for getting rid of property or unneeded things, often with an old-fashioned feel; modern Japanese more often uses 売り払う, 処分する, or similar expressions.

• 「家か財ざいを払はらう」は、持もち物ものを処しょ分ぶんしたり売うり払はらったりする意い味みで使つかわれる。

  The phrase 家財を払う is used to mean disposing of or selling off one's belongings.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

pay attention; show respect; show concern

Common abstract collocations include 注意を払う, 敬意を払う, 配慮を払う, and 関心を払う.

• 相あい手ての意い見けんにも十じゅう分ぶんな注ちゅう意いを払はらうべきだ。

  You should pay sufficient attention to the other person's opinion too.

• 私わたしたちは先せん人じんの努ど力りょくに敬けい意いを払はらっている。

  We show respect for the efforts of those who came before us.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

make an effort; make a sacrifice; expend

Used when something valuable, such as effort, cost, time, or sacrifice, is spent or given up for a purpose. Common in fixed-feeling collocations like 努力を払う and 犠牲を払う.

• 彼かれらは多おおくの犠ぎ牲せいを払はらって自じ由ゆうを手てに入いれた。

  They gained freedom at the cost of many sacrifices.

• 問もん題だいの解かい決けつに多た大だいな努ど力りょくを払はらった。

  They made great efforts to solve the problem.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

vacate; move out of

Used with places such as 宿, 下宿, or 部屋 to mean leaving or giving up the lodging. It is somewhat old-fashioned or limited compared with modern expressions like 引き払う or 退去する.

• 卒そつ業ぎょうを機きに下げ宿しゅくを払はらった。

  On graduating, I moved out of my lodgings.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

sweep; knock aside

A physical sweeping motion that knocks something aside, especially in expressions such as 足を払う, 'to sweep someone's legs out from under them.'

• 相あい手ての足あしを払はらって倒たおした。

  He swept his opponent's legs and knocked him down.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

make a sweeping stroke

Calligraphy and handwriting use: ending a stroke by sweeping or flicking the brush or pen outward.

• 最さい後ごの一いっ画かくは軽かるく右みぎへ払はらう。

  Sweep the final stroke lightly to the right.

godan verb (-u), transitive verb

reset an abacus

Specific to abacus use: clearing or resetting the beads before a calculation.

• 計けい算さんを始はじめる前まえにそろばんを払はらう。

  Reset the abacus before starting the calculation.