もてなす

も

て

な

す

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

もてなす · godan verb (-su)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	もてなす	もてなさない
Polite	もてなします	もてなしません
Past polite	もてなしました	もてなしませんでした
Past	もてなした	もてなさなかった
Te-form	もてなして	もてなさないで
Desire	もてなしたい	もてなしたくない
Potential	もてなせる	もてなせない
Passive	もてなされる	もてなされない
Causative	もてなさせる	もてなさせない
Causative passive	もてなさせられる	もてなさせられない
Volitional	もてなそう
Polite volitional	もてなしましょう
Imperative	もてなせ	もてなすな
Conditional	もてなせば	もてなさなければ
Tara conditional	もてなしたら	もてなさなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

treat (a guest); entertain; be hospitable to

usually written using kana alone

Used for welcoming and looking after guests, visitors, or customers with warmth and care.

友とも達だちを家いえに招まねいて、手て料りょう理りでもてなした。
I invited my friend over and treated them to a home-cooked meal.
旅りょ館かんでは、お客きゃく様さまを心こころを込こめてもてなします。
At the inn, we entertain our guests with heartfelt hospitality.

See all 64 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉を〈物もの〉で持もて成なすto entertain someone with something (food, drink, etc.)
手て料りょう理りでお客きゃく様さまを持もて成なした。
I entertained the guests with home-cooked food.
〈人ひと〉〉を手厚あつく持もて成なすto treat someone with great hospitality
彼かれらは遠とおくから来きた友ゆう人じんを手厚あつく持もて成なした。
They gave their friend, who had come from far away, a warm welcome.
〈人ひと〉を心こころを込こめて持もて成なすto entertain someone wholeheartedly
旅りょ館かんの女将おかみはお客きゃく様さま一人ひとり一人ひとりを心こころを込こめて持もて成なす。
The innkeeper attends to each guest wholeheartedly.

Kanji

持hold, have
成turn into, become, get

Related words

歓かん待たい
歓待する is a more formal, literary verb for giving someone a warm welcome, while 持て成す is the everyday word for looking after and entertaining a guest.
接せっ待たいN1
接待する specifically means entertaining clients or business guests (often with meals or drinks), whereas 持て成す covers hospitality toward any guest in general.
振ふる舞まうN2
もてなす covers hospitality broadly (welcoming, entertaining a guest), while 振る舞う specifically highlights offering food or drink to someone.

Opposites

冷れい遇ぐう
冷遇する means to treat someone coldly or neglectfully, the opposite of 持て成す's warm, attentive hospitality.

Don't confuse with

持もて余あますN1
持て余す (to not know what to do with something, to be stuck with a burden) looks similar to 持て成す but has an unrelated meaning.
モテる
もてなす (to entertain or host guests) sounds similar to モテる but has a completely different meaning about hospitality rather than popularity.

Word family

おもてなし
hospitality; reception; entertainment · light refreshment; treat; food and drink for guests
もてなしN1
hospitality; reception; entertainment · light refreshment; treat; food and drink for guests

Built from

持もてる+成なす

Written forms

もてなすUsage100%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 持て成す is rare.
持もて成なすUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; learners should use the kana spelling.

Etymology

Derived from the honorific prefix もて (from 持つ, 'to hold') and 成す ('to make'), literally 'to make something hold/have', which developed into the meaning of treating someone well.