する
Japanese
Etymology 1
From Old Japanese root verb す (su, “to do”).[1][2]
As with all verbs, during the Middle Japanese stage in the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, the 終止形 (shūshikei, “terminal or sentence-ending form”) was gradually lost as the 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) came to be used for both the attributive and terminal grammatical roles, realigning the conjugations.
Alternative forms
- (rare) 為る
Pronunciation
Verb
する (transitive, irregular conjugation, rōmaji suru)
- to do
- 何をしていますか。
- Nani o shite imasu ka.
- What are you doing?
- 何をしていますか。
- to wear (accessories)
- ネクタイをする。
- Nekutai o suru.
- I wear a necktie.
- ネクタイをする。
- (に～) to make into a certain state; to cause to become
- 一人にしないで
- hitori ni shinaide
- please don't leave me to be alone by myself
- 部屋を綺麗にする
- heya o kirei ni suru
- to clean up one's room
- 一人にしないで
- (を～) to have; to make
- 怖い目つきをする
- kowai metsuki o suru
- to have an intimidating glare
- 怖い目つきをする
Usage notes
The verb する (“to do”) is seldom written in kanji (為る).
It is common to use する after certain nouns to indicate that the noun is being done; this is highly productive, meaning many nouns can be used as verbs in this way. Some examples are:
Conjugation
| Stem forms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperfective (未然形) | さ・し・せ* | sa shi se* | ||
| Continuative (連用形) | し | shi | ||
| Terminal (終止形) | する | suru | ||
| Attributive (連体形) | する | suru | ||
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | すれ | sure | ||
| Imperative (命令形) | せよ¹ しろ² |
seyo¹ shiro² | ||
| Key constructions | ||||
| Passive | される | sareru | ||
| Causative | させる さす |
saseru sasu | ||
| Potential | できる | dekiru | ||
| Volitional | しよう | shiyō | ||
| Negative | しない | shinai | ||
| Negative continuative | せず | sezu | ||
| Formal | します | shimasu | ||
| Perfective | した | shita | ||
| Conjunctive | して | shite | ||
| Hypothetical conditional | すれば | sureba | ||
| * The sa- imperfective occurs in Kansai dialect and in certain set phrases, and forms the base of the passive and causative conjugations sareru, saseru, and sasu. The se- imperfective occurs in Classical Japanese and in other set phrases, and forms the base of the negative continuative conjugation sezu. The shi- imperfective is most common in Tokyo-standard everyday modern Japanese for forming the base of the negative conjugation shinai.
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative | ||||
Synonyms
See also
- す (su)
Etymology 2
Reading for various kanji spellings.
Verb
する (rōmaji suru)
Various verbs deriving from senses similar to “to slide” or “to rub”:
- 刷る, 摺る: to print something (from the way the paper would be placed on the printing block and rubbed)
- 掏る: to pick someone's pocket (possibly from the way a pickpocket must slide along unnoticed;[1] compare English slick)
- 擦る, 摩る, 磨る, 擂る: to slide, to rub, to chafe, to strike (as in a match, by rubbing); to lose or waste money
- 剃る: irregular reading for 剃る (soru, “to shave”)