そばだてる

そ

ば

だ

て

る

そばだてる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	そばだてる	そばだてない
Polite	そばだてます	そばだてません
Past polite	そばだてました	そばだてませんでした
Past	そばだてた	そばだてなかった
Te-form	そばだてて	そばだてないで
Desire	そばだてたい	そばだてたくない
Potential	そばだてられるalso そばだてれる	そばだてられないalso そばだてれない
Passive	そばだてられる	そばだてられない
Causative	そばだてさせる	そばだてさせない
Causative passive	そばだてさせられる	そばだてさせられない
Volitional	そばだてよう
Polite volitional	そばだてましょう
Imperative	そばだてろ	そばだてるな
Conditional	そばだてれば	そばだてなければ
Tara conditional	そばだてたら	そばだてなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, transitive verb

strain (one's ears, eyes); prick up (one's ears)

usually written using kana alone

Used almost exclusively in the set phrase 耳をそばだてる (to prick up one's ears, to listen carefully). The expression 目をそばだてる (to strain one's eyes) is much less common.

彼かれは隣となりの部屋へやの物もの音おとに耳みみをそばだてた。
He strained his ears at the sound from the next room.
暗くら闇やみの中なかで目めをそばだてて何なにかを見みようとした。
In the darkness, I strained my eyes trying to see something.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Kanji

欹prick up (one's ears)
攲up, uneven
側side, lean, oppose

Related words

耳みみを澄すます
耳を澄ます also means 'to listen carefully,' but it emphasizes quieting oneself to hear faint sounds, while 耳をそばだてる suggests a more active, alert straining of the ears, often in response to a sudden sound.

Written forms

そばだてるUsage93%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 欹てる, 攲てる, 側てる are rare and not commonly used.
欹そばだてるUsage7%
Rare kanji form; the character 欹 is not in common use.
攲そばだてる
Rare kanji form; the character 攲 is not in common use.
側そばだてる
Rare kanji form; 側 is normally read がわ or そば, and this spelling is not standard.

Etymology

The transitive verb corresponding to そばだつ, “to rise or stand erect,” preserved especially in expressions such as 耳をそばだてる, “to prick up one’s ears.”