追おいかける

お

い

か

け

る

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

追いかける · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	追おいかける	追おいかけない
Polite	追おいかけます	追おいかけません
Past polite	追おいかけました	追おいかけませんでした
Past	追おいかけた	追おいかけなかった
Te-form	追おいかけて	追おいかけないで
Desire	追おいかけたい	追おいかけたくない
Potential	追おいかけられるalso 追おいかけれる	追おいかけられないalso 追おいかけれない
Passive	追おいかけられる	追おいかけられない
Causative	追おいかけさせる	追おいかけさせない
Causative passive	追おいかけさせられる	追おいかけさせられない
Volitional	追おいかけよう
Polite volitional	追おいかけましょう
Imperative	追おいかけろ	追おいかけるな
Conditional	追おいかければ	追おいかけなければ
Tara conditional	追おいかけたら	追おいかけなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, transitive verb

chase; run after; pursue

Transitive verb used for physically chasing a person, animal, or moving thing, and also for pursuing a goal or dream. The object is normally marked with を.

警けい察さつが逃にげた男おとこを追おいかけた。
The police chased the man who ran away.
子こどもたちが公こう園えんでボールを追おいかけている。
The children are running after a ball in the park.
彼かの女じょは若わかいころから歌か手しゅになる夢ゆめを追おいかけている。
She has been pursuing her dream of becoming a singer since she was young.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

subsequently; following that; and then

Adverbial use in forms such as 追いかけて and especially 追いかけるように. It links two events that happen soon one after another, often with an image of the second following right behind the first rather than literally chasing it.

父ちちが亡なくなり、追おいかけるように母ははも翌よく年ねん亡なくなった。
My father died, and my mother passed away the following year as if following him.
先さきに兄あにが結けっ婚こんし、追おいかけるように妹いもうとも結けっ婚こんした。
The older brother got married first, and then the younger sister soon got married too.

See all 101 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉を追おいかけるto chase/run after someone
犬いぬが男おとこの子こを追おいかけている。
The dog is chasing the boy.
〈事こと〉が追おいかけるように起おこるfor one event to happen right after another
地じ震しんの後あと、火か災さいが追おいかけるように発はっ生せいした。
Right after the earthquake, a fire broke out as if following on its heels.
夢ゆめを追おいかけるto pursue a dream
彼かれは昔むかしから俳はい優ゆうになる夢ゆめを追おいかけている。
He has been pursuing his dream of becoming an actor for a long time.
〈人ひと〉の後あとを追おいかけるto run after someone (following their trail)
子こ供どもは母はは親おやの後あとを追おいかけて泣ないた。
The child ran after his mother crying.

Kanji

追chase, drive away, follow
掛hang, suspend, depend
駆drive, run, gallop

Related words· 6

追おうN3sense 1
追う is a shorter, more general verb for chasing or following, while 追いかける adds a vivid sense of actively running after something that is getting away.
追つい跡せきN1sense 1
追跡する is a formal or technical verb for tracking or tracing someone (as in investigations or surveillance), whereas 追いかける is the everyday word for physically or figuratively chasing.
追つい求きゅうN1sense 1
追求する is used for pursuing abstract things like truth or profit, while 追いかける can describe both physical chasing and pursuing a dream or goal.
追おっかける
追いかける is the standard, neutral form for chasing or pursuing something, while 追っかける is its casual, colloquial contraction used in informal speech.

Show 2 more

追おい上あげるN1
追いかける is the general verb for chasing or pursuing, whereas 追い上げる specifically highlights narrowing the distance to a leader.
ついてくるN3
追いかける means to chase after someone with active effort, while 付いてくる suggests a more casual or natural act of coming along.

Opposites

逃にげるN4sense 1
逃げる means to flee or run away, the direct opposite of 追いかける, which means to chase after someone or something.

Don't confuse with

追おいつくN3sense 1
追いつく means to catch up with someone (the gap closes), while 追いかける means to chase after someone who may still be out of reach.
追おい越こすN3
追い越す implies actually getting ahead of the target, while 追いかける just means to chase or pursue, with no guarantee of passing.
追おい払はらうN1
追いかける means 'to chase after' something you want to catch, the opposite intent of 追い払う, which means to make something go away.

Word family

追おいかけっこ
tag; chasing game
追おいかけ回まわす
chase around; pursue persistently

Written forms

追おいかけるUsage92%
Common mixed kana-kanji spelling and a good default for learners.
追おい掛かけるUsage4%
Common fully kanji-style spelling using 掛ける for the second element.
おいかけるUsage4%
追おい駆かけるUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; 駆ける can suggest running, but this spelling is not the usual choice.
追おい掛かけるUsage<1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form without the expected okurigana; avoid using it in normal writing.

Etymology

A compound verb from 追い, the continuative form of 追う meaning 'to chase,' plus かける／掛ける, which in compound verbs can add a sense of directing or starting an action toward something. The spelling 追いかける is the practical modern default.