正ただす

た

だ

す

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

正す · godan verb (-su)

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

Meanings

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

correct; rectify; reform

Used for fixing errors, bad habits, policies, or social wrongs. Often implies setting something back to a proper state.

間ま違ちがいを正ただしてください。
Please correct the mistake.
政せい府ふは法ほう律りつを正ただす必ひつ要ようがある。
The government needs to reform the law.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

straighten; adjust

Used for physically straightening posture, clothing, or alignment. Common in set phrases like 襟を正す (straighten one's collar / compose oneself).

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉の誤あやまりを正ただすto correct an error in something
彼かれは自じ分ぶんの誤あやまりを正ただした。
He corrected his own mistake.
〈人ひと〉の態たい度どを正ただすto correct someone's attitude or conduct
先せん生せいは生せい徒との態たい度どを正ただした。
The teacher corrected the student's attitude.
服ふく装そうを正ただすto straighten or tidy one's clothing
面めん接せつの前まえに服ふく装そうを正ただした。
I straightened my clothes before the interview.
社しゃ会かいの不ふ正せいを正ただすto correct social injustice
政せい治じ家かは社しゃ会かいの不ふ正せいを正ただすと約やく束そくした。
The politician promised to correct social injustices.

Expressions

本もとを正ただすget to the bottom of something; trace back to the origin; investigate the root cause
襟えりを正ただすstraighten oneself; compose oneself; take a serious attitude
姿し勢せいを正ただすstraighten one's posture; sit up straight
居い住ずまいを正ただすsit up straight; straighten one's posture; compose oneself

Kanji

正correct, justice, righteous

Related words

直なおすN5
直す is more common for repairing physical objects or fixing simple mistakes, while 正す often implies correcting something abstract or moral.
訂てい正せいN2sense 1
訂正する is formal and used specifically for correcting errors in documents or spoken statements, while 正す is broader and can also apply to moral or behavioral corrections.
改あらためるN2sense 1
改める means to change or reform something, such as a rule or one's ways, for the better, while 正す focuses on making something right that had gone wrong.
整ととのえるN2sense 2
整える means to arrange or put something in order, like clothing or hair, while 正す specifically implies straightening something that was crooked or improper.

Opposites

乱みだすN1
乱す means to disturb or throw into disorder, the direct opposite of 正す, which means to straighten or correct.
崩くずすN3
正す means to straighten or correct one's posture, the opposite of 崩す which means to relax or slouch it.
誤あやまるN2
誤る means to make or be a mistake, while 正す means to correct or fix that mistake.

Don't confuse with

糺ただす
正す (also read ただす) means to correct or rectify an error, while 糺す means to investigate and ascertain the truth, not to fix anything.

Word family

正ただしいN4
right; correct; accurate · proper; righteous; just; honest; lawful
正ただしく
correctly; rightly; properly; accurately
礼れい儀ぎ正ただしさ
politeness; courtesy

Written forms

正ただすUsage73%
Standard kanji spelling for correcting, reforming, or straightening.
ただすUsage27%

Etymology

The kanji 正 carries the core meaning of 'correct' or 'right'. The reading ただす is a native Japanese verb. The historical derivation is uncertain, but it is conventionally associated with making things right or straight.