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Words Kanji Guides About

答える (こたえる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

答こたえる

こ

た

え

る

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

answer; reply; respond

General verb for answering a question, responding to a call, or replying to a message. Intransitive; the thing being answered is marked with に.

先せん生せいの質しつ問もんに答こたえる。
I answer the teacher's question.
メールにすぐ答こたえてください

。

Please reply to the email right away.

Written forms

答こたえるUsage92%
Standard kanji spelling for answering or replying.
こたえるUsage8%
Kana spelling is common in informal writing, but the kanji form is preferred in most contexts.

Kanji

答solution, answer

Similar words

応こたえる
応える means to respond to expectations, demands, or feelings (e.g., 期待に応える), while 答える is for answering questions or messages.
返へん事じする
返事する is more casual and often used for giving a simple reply or acknowledgment, while 答える is broader and more formal.

Etymology

Derived from classical Japanese 答ふ (kotafu). The kanji 答 carries the meaning of 'answer' or 'solution'.