断ことわる

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Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

断る · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	断ことわる	断ことわらない
Polite	断ことわります	断ことわりません
Past polite	断ことわりました	断ことわりませんでした
Past	断ことわった	断ことわらなかった
Te-form	断ことわって	断ことわらないで
Desire	断ことわりたい	断ことわりたくない
Potential	断ことわれる	断ことわれない
Passive	断ことわられる	断ことわられない
Causative	断ことわらせる	断ことわらせない
Causative passive	断ことわらせられるalso 断ことわらされる	断ことわらせられないalso 断ことわらされない
Volitional	断ことわろう
Polite volitional	断ことわりましょう
Imperative	断ことわれ	断ことわるな
Conditional	断ことわれば	断ことわらなければ
Tara conditional	断ことわったら	断ことわらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

refuse; reject; turn down; decline

Directly refusing an offer, request, or proposal. Can be blunt or polite depending on context.

彼かれは招しょう待たいを丁てい寧ねいに断ことわった。
He politely declined the invitation.
申もうし出でを断ことわるのは難むずかしい。
It's hard to turn down an offer.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

inform; give notice; ask in advance

Used when informing someone beforehand, often to get approval or avoid trouble. Common in phrases like 断っておく (let someone know in advance).

遅ち刻こくするときは必かならず断ことわってください。
Please be sure to let me know in advance when you'll be late.
彼かれは上じょう司しに断ことわってから早そう退たいした。
He left early after informing his boss.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

ask leave; excuse oneself

Polite expression for excusing oneself from a place or situation, often used in formal settings.

お先さきに断ことわって失しつ礼れいします。
Please excuse me for leaving before you.
彼かれは会かい議ぎを断ことわって席せきを外はずした。
He excused himself from the meeting and left the room.

See all 314 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の誘さそいを断ことわるto turn down someone's invitation
友とも達だちの誘さそいを断ことわるのは気きが引ひける。
I feel bad about turning down my friend's invitation.
あらかじめ断ことわっておくto give notice in advance
遅おくれることをあらかじめ断ことわっておいた。
I let them know beforehand that I would be late.
〈人ひと〉に断ことわってから〈動どう詞し〉to do something after informing/getting permission from someone
先せん生せいに断ことわってから教きょう室しつを出でた。
I left the classroom after asking the teacher's permission.
きっぱり(と)断ことわるto flatly refuse
彼かれはその条じょう件けんをきっぱりと断ことわった。
He flatly refused those conditions.

Expressions

体ていよく断ことわるdecline politely; refuse gracefully; turn down without offending
断ことわりを入いれるinform in advance; give notice; ask permission beforehand
断ことわるまでもなくneedless to say; it goes without saying

Kanji

断severance, decline, refuse

Related words· 12

拒きょ否ひN2sense 1
拒否する is a stronger, more formal refusal often used for official or institutional rejections, while 断る is the everyday word for turning something down.
辞じ退たいN2sense 1
辞退する is used specifically for politely declining an offer, invitation, or position, whereas 断る covers any kind of refusal.
拒こばむN1sense 1
拒む is a more literary word for refusing or resisting something, while 断る is the common, neutral verb for saying no.
辞じす
断る is the standard, everyday word for refusing something, whereas 辞す is a stiffer, more formal way to express refusal.

Show 8 more

謝あやまるN4
謝る once meant to decline something but this use is dated; modern Japanese uses 断る for refusing or declining.
否いなむ
断る is the everyday word for refusing an offer or request, while 否む is a more formal, literary term for the same act.
退しりぞけるN1
断る is the everyday word for declining or refusing, while 退ける carries a stronger sense of authority or firm dismissal.
蹴け飛とばすN1
断る is the plain, neutral verb for refusing a request, while 蹴飛ばす figuratively conveys a blunt, forceful rejection.
謝しゃ絶ぜつN1
断る is the common everyday word for refusing or declining, while 謝絶 is a more formal term used in official or written contexts.
蹴けるN3
断る is the everyday, neutral verb for declining an offer or request, whereas 蹴る (reject sense) adds a forceful, almost dismissive nuance.
拒きょ絶ぜつN1
断る is the common, everyday verb for declining something, while 拒絶 is a formal, often written noun used for absolute, forceful rejection.
振ふるN3
断る is the general verb for refusing a request or offer, while 振る often carries the narrower emotional sense of romantically rejecting or dumping someone.

Opposites

承しょう諾だくN2sense 1
承諾する means to accept or consent to a request, the opposite of 断る which means to refuse it.
引ひき受うけるN3
断る means to refuse or decline a request, the opposite of 引き受ける, which means to accept and take it on.
請うけ負おう
断る means to refuse or decline a request, the opposite of 請け負う, which means to accept and take on the job.
受うけ付つけるN2
受け付ける means to accept an application or request, while 断る means to refuse it.

Don't confuse with

断たつN1sense 1
断つ (たつ) shares the kanji with 断る but means to cut off or sever something (like a relationship or supply), not to refuse a request.
断ことわらず
断る means 'to refuse' or 'to give notice/ask permission', and 断らず is its negative continuative form meaning 'without asking/refusing', so learners must track which sense of 断る is active.

Word family

お断ことわり
declining; refusal; rejection · notice; announcement
断ことわり
notice; notification; warning · permission; consent · refusal; rejection; declining · excuse; plea
断ことわり書がき
explanatory note; disclaimer; caveat

Written forms

断ことわるUsage81%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
断ことわるUsage13%
Variant spelling; less common.
ことわるUsage6%

Etymology

Compound of 事 (koto, 'thing, matter') + 割る (waru, 'to divide, split'). Originally meant 'to separate matters' or 'to distinguish', later shifting to 'to give a clear answer' and then 'to refuse'.