Japanese word

手間

Pronunciation

Romajitema

Meaning

  • nouneffort

Example

母は手間をかけて料理を作ります。haha wa te ma o ka ke te ryō ri o tsuku ri ma su

My mother puts effort into cooking.

Illustration for 手間 (effort)

More examples

オンラインで注文すると、買い物の手間を省けます。o n ra i n de chū mon su ru to ka i mono no te ma o habu ke ma su

Ordering online can save you the trouble of shopping.

Core concept

Describes the work and time invested in doing something, especially when the task requires care or repeated actions.

Common phrases

  • 手間がかかるte ma ga ka ka ru

    take time

  • 手間をかけるte ma o ka ke ru

    put effort into

  • 手間を省くte ma o habu ku

    save the trouble

Similar words

労力rōryoku: The physical or mental effort used to complete a task.
手数tesū: The number of steps or the amount of work needed to complete a task.
苦労kurō: The difficulty and effort experienced while completing a task.

Definition in Japanese

物事を行うために費やす労力や時間。mono goto o okona u ta me ni tsui ya su rō ryoku ya ji kan

Word origin

手間 (tema) combines 手 (te, "hand") with 間 (ma, "interval or time"), linking hands-on work with the time spent on it.

Usage tips

  • The expression 手間をかける (tema o kakeru) is used when someone deliberately puts time and effort into a task.

Other meanings

  • timenoun

Word lists with this word