What does “katazukeru” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “katazukeru” to mean ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this verb as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it together with its major conjugations. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners use “katazukeru” more properly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
- Definition and meanings of “katazukeru”
- Katazukenai: the nai form of “katazukeru”
- Katazukeyou: the volitional form of “katazukeru”
- Katazukemasu: the masu form of “katazukeru”
- Katazuketa: the ta form of “katazukeru”
- Katazukete: the te form of “katazukeru”
- Katazukereba: the ba form of “katazukeru”
- Summary
Definition and meanings of “katazukeru”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “katazukeru”.
- katazukeru – 片付ける (かたづける) : a verb meaning ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such in Japanese.
Native speakers use this verb when they put things back where those are expected to be. So, its usage is similar to those of the English verbs above, I think.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult. Then, let me explain how to use this verb through the example sentence below.
Example #1: how to say “clean up” in Japanese
watashi wa maishuu heya wo katazukeru – 私は毎週部屋を片付ける (わたしはまいしゅうへやをかたづける)
I clean up my room every week.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- maishuu – 毎週 (まいしゅう) : an adverb meaning ‘every week’ in Japanese.
- heya – 部屋 (へや) : a noun meaning ‘room’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “heya” to make the object in the sentence.
This is a typical usage of “katazukeru”. In the example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to have the object.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “katazukeru” and how to use it through the example sentence. In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain its major conjugations. The first one is “katazukenai”.
Katazukenai: the nai form of “katazukeru”
Below are the definition and meanings of “katazukenai”.
- katazukenai – 片付けない (かたづけない) : the nai form of “katazukeru”, which means ‘not to put away’, ‘not to tidy up’, ‘not to clean up’, or such in Japanese.
Grammatically, “katazukenai” consists of the following two parts:
- katazuke – 片付け (かたづけ) : one conjugation of “katazukeru”. This can have a smooth connection with “nai”.
- nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is very similar to that of “not”.
From these two parts, we can understand that “katazukenai” is literally the nai form of “katazukeru” and means ‘not to put away’, ‘not to tidy up’, ‘not to clean up’, or such in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.
Example #2: how to say “don’t clean up” in Japanese
musume tachi wa heya wo katazukenai – 娘達は部屋を片付けない (むすめたちはへやをかたづけない)
My daughters don’t clean up their rooms.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- musume – 娘 (むすめ) : a noun meaning ‘daughter’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “musume” to make its plural form, “musume tachi”, which means ‘daughters’ in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “katazukenai”. When we want to mean ‘not to clean up’ in Japanese, this nai form is a good option.
Katazukeyou: the volitional form of “katazukeru”
Below are the definition and meanings of “katazukeyou”.
- katazukeyou – 片付けよう (かたづけよう) : the volitional form of “katazukeru”, which expresses volition to put away, tidy up, clean up, or such in Japanese.
Grammatically, “katazukeyou” consists of the following two parts:
- katazuke – 片付け (かたづけ) : one conjugation of “katazukeru”. This can have a smooth connection with “you”.
- you – よう : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its volitional form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “katazukeyou” is literally the volitional form of “katazukeru” and expresses volition to put away, tidy up, clean up, or such in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.
Example #3: how to say “let’s clean up” in Japanese
issho ni heya wo katazukeyou – 一緒に部屋を片付けよう (いっしょにへやをかたづけよう)
Let’s clean up the room together!
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- issho – 一緒 (いっしょ) : a noun meaning ‘same’, ‘being together’, or such in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say how someone does something. In the example, this is used after “issho” to say “together” in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “katazukeyou”. In this example, it works to make the suggestion. When we want to say “let’s clean up” in Japanese, this volitional form is a good option.
Katazukemasu: the masu form of “katazukeru”
Below are the definition and meanings of “katazukemasu”.
- katazukemasu – 片付けます (かたづけます) : the masu form of “katazukeru”, which means ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such politely in Japanese.
Grammatically, “katazukemasu” consists of the following two parts:
- katazuke – 片付け (かたづけ) : one conjugation of “katazukeru”. This can have a smooth connection with “masu”.
- masu – ます : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese masu form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “katazukemasu” is literally the masu form of “katazukeru” and means ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such politely in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.
Example #4: how to say “clean up” politely in Japanese
seito ga kyoushitsu wo katazukemasu – 生徒が教室を片付けます (せいとがきょうしつをかたづけます)
Students clean up the classroom.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- seito – 生徒 (せいと) : a noun meaning ‘student’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “seito” to make the subject in the sentence.
- kyoushitsu – 教室 (きょうしつ) : a noun meaning ‘classroom’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
This is a typical usage of “katazukemasu”. Its politeness has not been reflected in the English sentence, but the Japanese sentence sounds polite thanks to the masu form. When we want to say “clean up” politely in Japanese, this form is a very good option.
Katazuketa: the ta form of “katazukeru”
Below are the definition and meanings of “katazuketa”.
- katazuketa – 片付けた (かたづけた) : the ta form of “katazukeru”, which means ‘put away’, ‘tidied up’, ‘cleaned up’, or such in Japanese.
Grammatically, “katazuketa” consists of the following two parts:
- katazuke – 片付け (かたづけ) : one conjugation of “katazukeru”. This can have a smooth connection with “ta”.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “katazuketa” is literally the ta form of “katazukeru” and means ‘put away’, ‘tidied up’, ‘cleaned up’, or such in Japanese. Let me explain how to use this form through the example sentence below.
Example #5: how to say “put away” in Japanese
boku wa osara wo katazuketa – 僕はお皿を片付けた (ぼくはおさらをかたづけた)
I put away dishes.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- osara – お皿 (おさら) : a noun meaning ‘dish’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
This is a typical usage of “katazuketa”. When we want to use the past tense form of “katazukeru”, this ta form is the best option.
Katazukete: the te form of “katazukeru”
Below are the definition and meanings of “katazukete”.
- katazukete – 片付けて (かたづけて) : the te form of “katazukeru”, which means ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such in Japanese.
Grammatically, “katazukete” consists of the following two parts:
- katazuke – 片付け (かたづけ) : one conjugation of “katazukeru”. This can have a smooth connection with “te”.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “katazukete” is literally the te form of “katazukeru”. In Japanese, te-formed words have some important roles. One of them is make a chronological order in a sentence. So, “katazukete” is very useful when we want to implement the order into a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.
Example #6: how to say “clean up and then” in Japanese
mainichi seito wa kyoushitsu wo katazukete kaeru – 毎日生徒は教室を片付けて帰る (まいにちせいとはきょうしつをかたづけてかえる)
Every day, students clean up the classroom and then leave.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- mainichi – 毎日 (まいにち) : an adverb meaning ‘every day’ in Japanese.
- kaeru – 帰る (かえる) : a verb meaning ‘to leave’, ‘to go home’, or such in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “katazukete”. When we want to make a chronological order in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to clean up’, this te form is a very good option.
Katazukereba: the ba form of “katazukeru”
Lastly, let me explain the definition and meanings of “katazukereba”.
- katazukereba – 片付ければ (かたづければ) : the ba form of “katazukeru”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such in Japanese.
Grammatically, “katazukereba” consists of the following two parts:
- katazukere – 片付けれ (かたづけれ) : one conjugation of “katazukeru”. This can have a smooth connection with “ba”.
- ba – ば : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its ba form.
From these two parts, we can understand that “katazukereba” is literally the ba form of “katazukeru”. In Japanese, the ba forms of words can work as their conditional forms. So, we can use “katazukereba” to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such in Japanese. Let me explain this usage through the example sentence below.
Example #7: how to say “if clean up” in Japanese
heya wo katazukereba, ii kimochi ni naru – 部屋を片付ければ、良い気持ちになる (へやをかたづければ、いいきもちになる)
If you clean up your room, you can feel good.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- ii – 良い (いい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘good’ or such in Japanese.
- kimochi – 気持ち (きもち) : a noun meaning ‘feeling’ or such in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say what someone or something becomes after a change or action. In the example, this is used after “ii kimochi” to indicate the state of the listener’s feeling after the action.
- naru – なる : a verb meaning ‘to become’, ‘to turn’, ‘to get’, or such in Japanese.
This is a typical usage of “katazukereba”. In this example, it works as a part of the conditional clause, “heya wo katazukereba”, which means ‘if you clean up your room’ in Japanese. When we want to make a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to clean up’ in Japanese, this ba form is a good option.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “katazukeru” together with its major conjugations. And also, I’ve explained how to use them through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- katazukeru – 片付ける (かたづける) : a verb meaning ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such in Japanese.
- katazukenai – 片付けない (かたづけない) : the nai form of “katazukeru”, which means ‘not to put away’, ‘not to tidy up’, ‘not to clean up’, or such in Japanese.
- katazukeyou – 片付けよう (かたづけよう) : the volitional form of “katazukeru”, which expresses volition to put away, tidy up, clean up, or such in Japanese.
- katazukemasu – 片付けます (かたづけます) : the masu form of “katazukeru”, which means ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such politely in Japanese.
- katazuketa – 片付けた (かたづけた) : the ta form of “katazukeru”, which means ‘put away’, ‘tidied up’, ‘cleaned up’, or such in Japanese.
- katazukete – 片付けて (かたづけて) : the te form of “katazukeru”, which means ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such in Japanese. When we want to make a chronological order in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to clean up’, this te form is a very good option.
- katazukereba – 片付ければ (かたづければ) : the ba form of “katazukeru”, which makes a conditional clause in a sentence with adding the meaning of ‘to put away’, ‘to tidy up’, ‘to clean up’, or such in Japanese.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
