返す（かえす）
JLPT N5 · Godan verb (Group 1)
Pitch accent: atamadaka (head-high) — first mora high, then falls
Meaning: to return (something)
Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| masu-form (polite) | 返します | かえします |
| te-form | 返して | かえして |
| ta-form (past) | 返した | かえした |
| nai-form (negative) | 返さない | かえさない |
| potential form | 返せる | かえせる |
See the full conjugation table for "返す" →
Example sentences
- 借りた本を期限までに図書館に返す。 — I return the book I borrowed to the library by the due date.
- 借りていたお金を友達に返した。 — I paid back the money I'd borrowed from my friend.
Idioms & proverbs containing “返す”
- 歴史は繰り返す (れきしはくりかえす) — history repeats itself
- 借りを返す (かりをかえす) — to pay back a debt
- 恩を仇で返す (おんをあだでかえす) — to return evil for good; to return a favor with spite
- 手のひらを返す (てのひらをかえす) — to flip-flop; to do an about-face; to flip over one's hand
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “返す” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)