言いい訳わけ

い

わ

け

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

言い訳する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	言いい訳わけする	言いい訳わけしない
Polite	言いい訳わけします	言いい訳わけしません
Past polite	言いい訳わけしました	言いい訳わけしませんでした
Past	言いい訳わけした	言いい訳わけしなかった
Te-form	言いい訳わけして	言いい訳わけしないで
Desire	言いい訳わけしたい	言いい訳わけしたくない
Potential	言いい訳わけできる	言いい訳わけできない
Passive	言いい訳わけされる	言いい訳わけされない
Causative	言いい訳わけさせる	言いい訳わけさせない
Causative passive	言いい訳わけさせられる	言いい訳わけさせられない
Volitional	言いい訳わけしよう
Polite volitional	言いい訳わけしましょう
Imperative	言いい訳わけしろ	言いい訳わけするな
Conditional	言いい訳わけすれば	言いい訳わけしなければ
Tara conditional	言いい訳わけしたら	言いい訳わけしなかったら

Meanings

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb

excuse; justification

Often negative: a reason given to avoid blame or responsibility. Common as 言い訳をする, 言い訳する, and 言い訳にする.

遅ち刻こくの言いい訳わけをするな。
Don't make excuses for being late.
忙いそがしさを言いい訳わけにして、宿しゅく題だいを出ださなかった。
He used being busy as an excuse and didn't submit his homework.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb

explanation; account

A reason or account offered to explain one's actions or situation; still often has a defensive or apologetic tone, unlike the fully neutral 理由 or 説明.

彼かの女じょの言いい訳わけを聞きいて、事じ情じょうが少すこし分わかった。
After hearing her explanation, I understood the situation a little.
何なにか言いい訳わけがあるなら、今いまここで言いってください。
If you have an explanation, please say it here now.

See all 299 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉を言いい訳わけにするto use something as an excuse
忙いそがしさを言いい訳わけにして連れん絡らくしなかった。
He used being busy as an excuse for not getting in touch.
〈人ひと〉に言いい訳わけするto make excuses to someone
遅ち刻こくした理り由ゆうを上じょう司しに言いい訳わけした。
He made excuses to his boss for being late.
言いい訳わけを考かんがえるto think up an excuse
遅おくれた言いい訳わけを考かんがえているうちに、さらに時じ間かんが過すぎた。
While he was thinking up an excuse for being late, even more time passed.
言いい訳わけばかりするto do nothing but make excuses
彼かれはいつも言いい訳わけばかりして反はん省せいしない。
He always just makes excuses and never reflects on his mistakes.

Expressions

苦くるしい言いい訳わけlame excuse; poor excuse
言いい訳わけが立たつhave an excuse; be able to make an excuse
言いい訳わけが立たたないinexcusable; unjustifiable; admitting no excuse

Kanji

言say, word
訳translate, reason, circumstance
分part, minute of time, segment

Related words· 8

理り由ゆうN4sense 1
理由 is a neutral word for 'reason', while 言い訳 specifically implies an excuse offered to avoid blame.
弁べん解かいN1sense 1
弁解 is a somewhat formal, deliberate defense of one's conduct, while 言い訳 is the everyday word for making excuses.
口こう実じつN2sense 1
口実 is a pretext that hides the real reason, stronger and more deceptive than an ordinary 言い訳.
説せつ明めいN5sense 2
説明 is a fully neutral explanation, whereas 言い訳 keeps a defensive, apologetic tone even when just giving an account.

Show 4 more

言いい逃のがれ sense 1
言い逃れ emphasizes evasive dodging of blame, while 言い訳 is the more general, everyday word for an excuse.
言こと付づけるN2
言い訳する is the everyday verb for making an excuse, while 言付ける in this old-fashioned sense means to use something as a pretext.
断ことわり
言い訳 is the everyday modern word for an excuse, while this 'excuse' sense of 断り is old-fashioned and rarely used now.
弁べん明めいN1
言い訳 is a casual excuse for a small fault, while 弁明 is a formal, reasoned justification often used in serious or official contexts.

Don't confuse with· 5

申もうし訳わけN3
言い訳 means an excuse or justification for one's behavior, whereas 申し訳 expresses regret or apology rather than justifying oneself.
言いい分ぶんN1
言い訳 is specifically an excuse made to cover up a fault or mistake, while 言い分 is one's own claim or opinion, which need not involve wrongdoing.
言いい出だし
言い出し (bringing up a topic) and 言い訳 (an excuse) share the 言い- prefix but describe unrelated speech acts.

Show 2 more

言いい換かえ
言い訳 looks similar to 言い換え but means 'excuse,' not 'rephrasing.'
言いいがかりN1
言い訳 is an excuse or justification for one's own behavior, while 言いがかり is a false accusation leveled at someone else, and the similar-looking kanji often trips up learners.

Word family

言いい訳わけがましい
excuse-like; defensive; apologetic-sounding

Built from

言いう+訳わけ

Written forms

言いい訳わけUsage83%
Standard common spelling; high priority.
言いいわけUsage13%
search-only kanji form
This mixed kanji-kana spelling is search-only; not recommended for normal writing.
いいわけUsage2%
Kana spelling is understandable and may appear in casual or learner-facing writing, though the kanji form 言い訳 is the normal standard spelling.
言いい訳わけUsage2%
search-only kanji form
This no-okurigana spelling is search-only; use 言い訳 in normal writing.
言いい分わけUsage<1%
rarely-used kanji form
It is a rarely used kanji form; prefer 言い訳 in ordinary writing.
イイワケUsage<1%

Etymology

Transparent compound of 言い, the continuative form of 言う 'to say', and 訳 'reason; explanation'. The spelling is conventionally tied to giving a verbal reason or account.