構かまえる

ichidan verb, transitive verb

hold ready; have at the ready; prepare in advance

Common with objects such as a camera, gun, sword, or microphone: holding something ready for immediate use. The broader sense of preparing something in advance, such as food, is possible but less central in modern everyday usage.

• 記き者しゃたちは出で口ぐちでカメラを構かまえて待まっていた。

  The reporters were waiting at the exit with their cameras ready.

• 警けい官かんは銃じゅうを構かまえたまま近ちかづいた。

  The police officer approached with his gun at the ready.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

adopt a posture; assume a stance; stand ready

Used for taking a bodily or strategic stance in preparation for action, often in sports, martial arts, or tense situations.

• 選せん手しゅは腰こしを低ひくく構かまえてサーブを待まった。

  The player crouched into a low stance and waited for the serve.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

put on an air; assume an attitude

Intransitive use for deliberately taking on a certain attitude or manner, often suggesting artificiality, distance, or pretension.

• 彼かれはいつも偉えらそうに構かまえていて、話はなしかけにくい。

  He always puts on a superior air, so he is hard to approach.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

tense up; stiffen; become overly formal

Often used in negative or reassuring expressions such as 構えないで, meaning not to get tense, guarded, or overly formal.

• そんなに構かまえないで、気き楽らくに話はなしてください。

  Don’t be so tense; please speak casually.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

fabricate; make up; feign

Rare or formal compared with 作る or でっち上げる. Often seen in collocations such as 口実を構える, meaning to invent a pretext or excuse.

• 彼かれは遅ち刻こくをごまかすために口こう実じつを構かまえた。

  He made up an excuse to cover up being late.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

scheme; plot; form a plan

Literary or rare use for devising a plan, especially a scheme or stratagem. Modern Japanese more often uses 企てる, 計画する, or 策を練る.

• 古ふるい小しょう説せつでは「謀はかりごとを構かまえる」のような言いい方かたで、ひそかに策さくを巡めぐらす意い味みになる。

  In older fiction, an expression like 謀を構える can mean to secretly devise a scheme.