Japanese word

言いつける

Pronunciation

Romajiiitsukeru

Meaning

  • verbtell ___ to, tell ___ to do

Example

母は私に部屋を掃除するように言いつけます。haha wa watashi ni heya o sō ji su ru yō ni i i tsu ke ma su

My mother tells me to clean my room.

Illustration for 言いつける (tell ___ to)

More examples

母は私に部屋のそうじを言いつけます。haha wa watashi ni heya no sō ji o i i tsu ke ma su

My mother tells me to clean my room.

先生は生徒に廊下を走らないように言いつけました。sen sei wa sei to ni rō ka o hashi ra na i yō ni i i tsu ke ma shi ta

The teacher told the students not to run in the hallway.

Core concept

Directs someone toward a particular action by stating what that person is expected to do.

Common phrases

  • 用事を言いつけるyō ji o i i tsu ke ru

    assign an errand

  • 部下に仕事を言いつけるbu ka ni shi goto o i i tsu ke ru

    assign work to a subordinate

  • 子供に留守番を言いつけるko domo ni ru su ban o i i tsu ke ru

    tell a child to watch the house

Similar words

命令するmeireisuru: To tell someone to carry out a specific task with authority.
指示するshijisuru: To explain what someone should do or how an action should be carried out.
頼むtanomu: To ask someone to do something, often in a polite or personal way.
申し付けるmōshitsukeru: To formally tell someone to undertake a task or duty.

Definition in Japanese

相手に特定の行動をするよう伝え、指示すること。ai te ni toku tei no kō dō o su ru yō tsuta e shi ji su ru ko to

Word origin

言う (iu, "say") contributes its stem 言い (ii, "saying"), and 付ける (tsukeru, "attach or assign") forms a compound meaning to assign a spoken instruction.

Usage tips

  • In family and school settings, 言いつける (iitsukeru) commonly presents the speaker as giving another person a task rather than merely sharing information.

Other meanings

  • orderverb
  • instructverb

Related words

  • 言いつけiitsukeordernoun

Word lists with this word