なぞらえる

also: なずらえる

な

ぞ

ら

え

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

なぞらえる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	なぞらえる	なぞらえない
Polite	なぞらえます	なぞらえません
Past polite	なぞらえました	なぞらえませんでした
Past	なぞらえた	なぞらえなかった
Te-form	なぞらえて	なぞらえないで
Desire	なぞらえたい	なぞらえたくない
Potential	なぞらえられるalso なぞらえれる	なぞらえられないalso なぞらえれない
Passive	なぞらえられる	なぞらえられない
Causative	なぞらえさせる	なぞらえさせない
Causative passive	なぞらえさせられる	なぞらえさせられない
Volitional	なぞらえよう
Polite volitional	なぞらえましょう
Imperative	なぞらえろ	なぞらえるな
Conditional	なぞらえれば	なぞらえなければ
Tara conditional	なぞらえたら	なぞらえなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, transitive verb

liken to; compare to

usually written using kana alone

Used when drawing a parallel between two things, often in a figurative or poetic way. The pattern is AをBになぞらえる (liken A to B).

人じん生せいを旅たびになぞらえる。
I liken life to a journey.
彼かの女じょはよく人ひとを動どう物ぶつになぞらえて話はなす。
She often talks by comparing people to animals.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

model after; pattern after; imitate

usually written using kana alone

Used when creating something by following a model or example. The pattern is AをBになぞらえる (model A after B).

この庭てい園えんは京きょう都との有ゆう名めいな庭にわになぞらえて作つくられた。
This garden was created by modeling it after a famous garden in Kyoto.
彼かれは先せん輩ぱいのやり方かたになぞらえて仕し事ごとを進すすめた。
He proceeded with the work by imitating his senior's method.

See all 10 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を〈物もの〉になぞらえるto liken one thing to another
桜さくらの花はなびらを涙なみだになぞらえる詩しがある。
There is a poem that likens cherry blossom petals to tears.
〈物もの〉を〈物もの〉になぞらえて作つくるto make something modeled after something else
この庭にわは龍りょう安あん寺じの石せき庭ていになぞらえて作つくられた。
This garden was built modeled after the rock garden of Ryoan-ji.

Kanji

準semi-, correspond to, proportionate to
擬mimic, aim (a gun) at, nominate
准quasi-, semi-, associate

Related words

例たとえるN2sense 1
例える is the everyday word for making a comparison or simile, while 準える is more literary and often implies a deliberate, symbolic parallel.
見み立たてる sense 1
見立てる means to view or treat one thing as another (often visually or metaphorically), whereas 準える focuses on drawing an explicit likeness or model between two things.
比ひする sense 1
比する is a formal, literary verb for comparing two things, close in register to 準える but without the sense of modeling one thing on another.
模も倣ほうN1sense 2
模倣する means to copy or imitate directly, while 準える implies a creative adaptation based on a model rather than a straight copy.

Written forms

なぞらえるUsage94%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms 準える, 擬える, and 准える are rare.
擬えるUsage4%
- なぞらえる
  Rare kanji form; the kana spelling is strongly preferred.
- なずらえる
  rarely-used kana form
準えるUsage3%
- なぞらえる
  Rare kanji form; the kana spelling is strongly preferred.
- なずらえる
  rarely-used kana form
准える
rarely-used kanji form
- なぞらえる
  Rarely used kanji form; the kana spelling is strongly preferred.
- なずらえる
  rarely-used kana form
なずらえる
rarely-used kana form
Rarely used kana form; the standard reading is なぞらえる.

Etymology

Derived from the classical verb なぞらふ, which combined the prefix な- (of uncertain origin) with そらふ (to imitate, to liken). The modern form なぞらえる is the ichidan-ized version.