かける

ichidan verb, transitive verb

cover with; put over; spread over

Used for putting something like a blanket, cloth, or cover over a person or object.

• 寒さむそうだったので、子こどもに毛もう布ふをかけた。

  The child looked cold, so I put a blanket over them.

• テーブルに白しろい布ぬのをかける。

  I spread a white cloth over the table.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

put on glasses; wear on the body

Especially common with 眼鏡をかける. It can also describe something hanging from the body, such as around the neck.

See also: めがねをかける

• 授じゅ業ぎょう中ちゅうは眼鏡めがねをかける。

  I wear glasses during class.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

make a phone call; call

Fixed everyday collocation: 電話をかける, meaning to place or make a telephone call.

See also: 電話をかける

• あとで母ははに電でん話わをかける。

  I will call my mother later.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

spend; expend; use up

Used with time, money, effort, and similar resources: 時間をかける, お金をかける, 手間をかける.

See also: 時間を掛ける

• この研けん究きゅうに三さん年ねんをかけた。

  I spent three years on this research.

• あまりお金かねをかけずに部屋へやを直なおした。

  I fixed up the room without spending much money.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

pour onto; sprinkle onto; splash onto

Used when putting liquid, sauce, powder, seasoning, or water onto a surface or food.

See also: 塩をかける

• サラダにドレッシングをかける。

  I pour dressing on the salad.

• スープにこしょうを少すこしかけた。

  I sprinkled a little pepper on the soup.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

turn on; set; play; use

Used with engines, alarms, music, devices, and tools: エンジンをかける, 目覚ましをかける, 音楽をかける.

• 車くるまのエンジンをかける。

  I start the car engine.

• 明日あしたは早はやいので、目め覚ざましを六ろく時じにかけた。

  I have to get up early tomorrow, so I set the alarm for six.

• 店てん内ないでは静しずかな音おん楽がくをかけている。

  They play quiet music inside the shop.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

cause trouble; burden; impose on

Common in apology and concern expressions such as 迷惑をかける and 負担をかける.

See also: 迷惑をかける

• ご迷めい惑わくをかけてすみません。

  I'm sorry for causing you trouble.

• 家か族ぞくに負ふ担たんをかけたくない。

  I don't want to burden my family.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

multiply

Mathematical use for multiplication, typically in the pattern AにBをかける.

• 三さんに四しをかけると十じゅう二にになる。

  Three multiplied by four is twelve.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

lock; secure

Most common with 鍵をかける, meaning to lock a door, drawer, bicycle, and so on.

See also: 鍵をかける

• 出でかける前まえに玄げん関かんの鍵かぎをかけてください。

  Please lock the front door before you go out.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

sit down; rest on; support on

The fixed expression 腰をかける, 'to sit down,' and uses where something is rested or supported against something else are also used.

See also: 腰を掛ける

• どうぞこちらに腰こしをかけてください。

  Please have a seat here.

• はしごを壁かべにかける。

  I rest the ladder against the wall.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

bind; tether

Only when written 繋ける

Old or limited use meaning to bind or tether; the spelling 繋ける. Modern Japanese normally uses words such as つなぐ or 縛る instead.

• 古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、「馬うまを木きにかける」が「馬うまをつなぐ」という意い味みで使つかわれることがある。

  In old writing, 馬を木にかける can mean 'to tether a horse to a tree.'

ichidan verb, transitive verb

bet; wager; risk; stake

Only when written 懸ける

Used for betting money or staking something important. 懸ける is common for life, hopes, or major commitment; the separate spelling 賭ける is especially associated with gambling and betting.

See also: 賭ける (かける)

• 彼かれは全ぜん財ざい産さんをその試し合あいに懸かけた。

  He bet his entire fortune on that match.

• 消しょう防ぼう士しは命いのちを懸かけて子こどもを救すくった。

  The firefighter risked his life to save the child.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

put under an effect; cast; administer

Used with effects applied to someone or something, such as 麻酔をかける, 魔法をかける, or 催眠術をかける.

• 手しゅ術じゅつの前まえに麻ま酔すいをかける。

  They administer anesthesia before the operation.

• 魔ま女じょは王おう子じに魔ま法ほうをかけた。

  The witch cast a spell on the prince.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

put on a performance; hold an event

Less common in modern everyday speech; modern Japanese more often uses 上演する, 開く, or 催す depending on the event.

• 古ふるい言いい方かたでは、「芝しば居いをかける」は芝しば居いを上じょう演えんする意い味みになる。

  In older usage, 芝居をかける means to put on a play.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

place hopes in; feel pity for; direct an emotion toward

Only when written 懸ける

Used with emotion or attitude nouns such as 期待, 望み, 情け, or 哀れみ; 懸ける may be used for hopes or commitment.

• 新あたらしい計けい画かくに期き待たいを懸かけている。

  I am placing my hopes in the new plan.

• 彼かの女じょはその子こに深ふかい情なさけを懸かけた。

  She showed deep compassion for the child.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

put before a court; submit for discussion; bring up for deliberation

Used for putting a person, case, plan, or issue before a court, meeting, vote, or conference: 裁判にかける, 会議にかける.

See also: 裁判にかける

• その案あんを次つぎの会かい議ぎにかける。

  We will put that proposal before the next meeting.

• 容よう疑ぎ者しゃは裁さい判ばんにかけられた。

  The suspect was put on trial.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

intensify; accelerate; increase further

Often appears in set expressions such as 拍車をかける or 輪をかける, meaning to make an existing tendency stronger.

• 彼かれの一ひと言ことが不ふ安あんに拍はく車しゃをかけた。

  His remark intensified the anxiety.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

catch in a trap; catch in a net

Used when prey, fish, or a target is caught by a trap, net, or similar device.

• 漁りょう師しは魚さかなを網あみにかけた。

  The fisherman caught the fish in a net.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

set on top; put on heat

Common with cooking or heating expressions such as 鍋を火にかける and やかんを火にかける, meaning to put something over a flame or on the stove.

• やかんを火ひにかける。

  I put the kettle on the stove.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

erect a temporary structure

Rare or old-fashioned use for putting up a makeshift building; modern Japanese normally uses 建てる or 設ける depending on context.

• 「仮かり小屋ごやをかける」という古ふるい言いい方かたは、仮かりの建たて物ものを建たてる意い味みで使つかわれる。

  The old expression 仮小屋をかける means to put up a temporary building.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

take out insurance; insure

Fixed practical collocation: 保険をかける, meaning to apply insurance to someone or something.

See also: 保険をかける

• 家いえに火か災さい保ほ険けんをかける。

  I take out fire insurance on the house.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

pun on; use as a pivot word; play on words

Literary and rhetorical use, especially with 掛詞 in classical poetry, but also understandable as playing on two meanings of a word.

See also: 掛詞

• この和わ歌かでは「まつ」に二ふたつの意い味みをかけている。

  In this waka, the poet plays on two meanings of matsu.

suffix, ichidan verb

start to; be in the middle of; be about to

Suffix after the masu-stem of a verb, as in 読みかける or 開けかける. It often implies the action began but was not completed, or was just about to happen.

See also: 話しかける · 治りかける

• 読よみかけた本ほんが机つくえに置おいてある。

  A book I had started reading is on the desk.

• ドアを開あけかけて、急きゅうに手てを止とめた。

  I started to open the door, then suddenly stopped.

suffix, ichidan verb

direct an action toward someone; address; call out to

Suffix after the masu-stem of a verb showing that the action is directed at someone, as in 話しかける or 呼びかける.

See also: 話しかける

• 駅えきで知しらない人ひとに話はなしかけられた。

  A stranger spoke to me at the station.

• 彼かれは子こどもたちに優やさしく呼よびかけた。

  He gently called out to the children.