尋ねる

Japanese

Kanji in this term
尋
たず Grade: S
kun’yomi

Etymology

From Old Japanese 尋ぬ (tazunu), in the 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, “lower bigrade conjugation”) pattern.

Development

Natural progression from Old and Classical Japanese 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, “lower bigrade conjugation”) verbs ending in -u to modern Japanese 下一段活用 (shimo ichidan katsuyō, “lower monograde conjugation”) verbs ending in -eru.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) たずね​る [tàzúnéꜜrù] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ta̠zɨᵝne̞ɾɯ̟ᵝ]

• Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of "尋ねる"

Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形)	尋ねる	たずね​る	[tàzúnéꜜrù]
Imperative (命令形)	尋ねろ	たずね​ろ	[tàzúnéꜜrò]
Key constructions
Passive	尋ねられる	たずねられ​る	[tàzúnéráréꜜrù]
Causative	尋ねさせる	たずねさせ​る	[tàzúnésáséꜜrù]
Potential	尋ねられる	たずねられ​る	[tàzúnéráréꜜrù]
Volitional	尋ねよう	たずねよ​ー	[tàzúnéyóꜜò]
Negative	尋ねない	たずね​ない	[tàzúnéꜜnàì]
Negative perfective	尋ねなかった	たずね​なかった	[tàzúnéꜜnàkàttà]
Formal	尋ねます	たずねま​す	[tàzúnémáꜜsù]
Perfective	尋ねた	たず​ねた	[tàzúꜜnètà]
Conjunctive	尋ねて	たず​ねて	[tàzúꜜnètè]
Hypothetical conditional	尋ねれば	たずね​れば	[tàzúnéꜜrèbà]

• Homophone: 訪ねる

Verb

尋(たず)ねる • (tazuneru) transitive ichidan (stem 尋(たず)ね (tazune), past 尋(たず)ねた (tazuneta))

1. ask (a question)

   Synonyms: 聞く (kiku), (humble) 伺う (ukagau)

   道(みち)を尋(たず)ねる

   michi o tazuneru

   to ask for directions

2. search, look for, investigate

   Synonym: 探す (sagasu)

   生(い)き別(わか)れの子(こ)を尋(たず)ねる

   ikiwakare no ko o tazuneru

   to search for a long-lost child

   真(しん)理(り)を尋(たず)ねる

   shinri o tazuneru

   to seek truth

   • 1916, 与謝野晶子, 私娼の撲滅について [On the Eradication of Unlicensed Prostitution]:

     こういう不(ふ)徳(とく)な職業(しょくぎょう)の起(き)源(げん)を尋(たず)ねることはむずかしい。

     Kōiu futoku na shokugyō no kigen o tazuneru koto wa muzukashii.

     It is difficult to investigate the origin of such an immoral occupation.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "尋ねる" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	尋ね	たずね	tazune
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	尋ね	たずね	tazune
Shūshikei ("terminal")	尋ねる	たずねる	tazuneru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	尋ねる	たずねる	tazuneru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	尋ねれ	たずねれ	tazunere
Meireikei ("imperative")	尋ねよ¹ 尋ねろ²	たずねよ¹ たずねろ²	tazuneyo¹ tazunero²
Key constructions
Passive	尋ねられる	たずねられる	tazunerareru
Causative	尋ねさせる 尋ねさす	たずねさせる たずねさす	tazunesaseru tazunesasu
Potential	尋ねられる 尋ねれる³	たずねられる たずねれる³	tazunerareru tazunereru³
Volitional	尋ねよう	たずねよう	tazuneyō
Negative	尋ねない 尋ねぬ 尋ねん	たずねない たずねぬ たずねん	tazunenai tazunenu tazunen
Negative continuative	尋ねず	たずねず	tazunezu
Formal	尋ねます	たずねます	tazunemasu
Perfective	尋ねた	たずねた	tazuneta
Conjunctive	尋ねて	たずねて	tazunete
Hypothetical conditional	尋ねれば	たずねれば	tazunereba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative ³ Colloquial potential

Related terms

• お尋(たず)ね (otazune): (n.) asking (for polite)