間引く · godan verb (-ku)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 間引く | 間引かない |
| Polite | 間引きます | 間引きません |
| Past polite | 間引きました | 間引きませんでした |
| Past | 間引いた | 間引かなかった |
| Te-form | 間引いて | 間引かないで |
| Desire | 間引きたい | 間引きたくない |
| Potential | 間引ける | 間引けない |
| Passive | 間引かれる | 間引かれない |
| Causative | 間引かせる | 間引かせない |
| Causative passive | 間引かせられるalso 間引かされる | 間引かせられないalso 間引かされない |
| Volitional | 間引こう | |
| Polite volitional | 間引きましょう | |
| Imperative | 間引け | 間引くな |
| Conditional | 間引けば | 間引かなければ |
| Tara conditional | 間引いたら | 間引かなかったら |
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
thin out; cull
Primarily used for plants, seedlings, or crops: removing some to give the remaining ones more space and resources.
I thinned out the radish sprouts so the remaining ones could grow bigger.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
cut down; reduce; run on a curtailed schedule
Used for reducing the frequency or number of something, especially services or schedules. Often seen with transportation or events.
不況でバスの本数を間引くことになった。
Due to the recession, they had to reduce the number of bus services.
godan verb (-ku), transitive verb
kill a newborn child (due to financial difficulties)
Historical term for infanticide, often practiced in times of famine or extreme poverty. Not used in modern contexts.
江戸時代、貧しい農家では口減らしのために赤ん坊を間引くことがあった。
In the Edo period, poor farming families sometimes killed newborn babies to reduce the number of mouths to feed.