When you want to say "to call" or "to invite" in Japanese, you use the verb "呼ぶ" (yobu). This word is useful in many situations. For example, you can use it when you are calling out to someone, like a friend or family member. You can also use "呼ぶ" when you are inviting someone to a party or an event. It's a versatile verb to remember.
Let's talk about some common traps English speakers fall into when using the Japanese verb 呼ぶ (yobu). While its primary meanings are 'to call' and 'to invite', the nuance can be a bit different from English, leading to some understandable errors.
§ Mistake 1: Using 呼ぶ for 'calling' on the phone
This is a big one. In English, we 'call' someone on the phone. In Japanese, you generally don't use 呼ぶ for this. You use 電話する (denwa suru) or 電話をかける (denwa o kakeru).
友達に電話しました。(Tomodachi ni denwa shimashita.)
I called my friend.
If you said 友達を呼んだ (Tomodachi o yonda) in the context of a phone call, it would sound like you literally called out their name to get their attention, not that you dialed them.
§ Mistake 2: Overusing 呼ぶ for 'inviting' to an event
While 呼ぶ does mean 'to invite', it often carries a stronger sense of 'summoning' or 'calling someone over' rather than a casual invitation to an event like a party. For general invitations, especially for social gatherings, you'll more commonly hear 誘う (sasou) or 招待する (shōtai suru).
- DEFINITION
- 誘う (sasou): to invite (often implies tempting or coaxing)
- DEFINITION
- 招待する (shōtai suru): to invite (more formal, often for events like weddings, parties)
友達をパーティーに誘いました。(Tomodachi o pātī ni sasoimashita.)
I invited my friend to the party.
結婚式に彼らを招待しました。(Kekkonshiki ni karera o shōtai shimashita.)
I invited them to the wedding.
You might use 呼ぶ if you're telling someone to 'come over' to your place, or if you're organizing something and gathering people. For example:
友達を家に呼んだ。(Tomodachi o ie ni yonda.)
I called/invited my friend to my house (to come over).
§ Mistake 3: Not understanding the 'naming' sense of 呼ぶ
呼ぶ can also mean 'to call (a name)' or 'to name (something)'. This is a common and correct usage, but sometimes learners might not connect it to the 'call/invite' meanings immediately.
彼は私を「先生」と呼ぶ。(Kare wa watashi o "sensei" to yobu.)
He calls me "teacher."
その犬はハチと呼ばれています。(Sono inu wa Hachi to yobarete imasu.)
That dog is called Hachi.
§ Key takeaway for 呼ぶ
- It's best for directly calling out to someone or something.
- It's used for inviting someone to come to a specific place or to join you.
- It's correct for naming or referring to something by a particular term.
- Avoid it for phone calls (use 電話する) and general social invitations (consider 誘う or 招待する).
By keeping these distinctions in mind, you'll use 呼ぶ much more naturally and avoid common misunderstandings. Pay attention to context and try to observe how native speakers use these different verbs.
Dato curioso
The character 呼 (ko) itself is a phono-semantic compound in Chinese, where 乎 (hu) gives the sound and 口 (kǒu) means 'mouth'. In Japanese, this character is commonly read as 'yo-bu' or 'ko'.
Guía de pronunciación
- Often pronounced with a long 'o' sound by English speakers, but it should be short.
Ejemplos por nivel
私は友達を食事に呼びました。
I invited my friend to dinner.
彼女は彼の名前を大声で呼んだ。
She called his name loudly.
タクシーを呼んでいただけますか？
Could you call a taxi for me?
医者を呼ぶ必要があります。
We need to call a doctor.
彼は私をパーティーに呼んでくれた。
He invited me to the party.
その音は何と呼ぶのですか？
What do you call that sound?
彼女は彼を家に呼んだ。
She invited him to her house.
名前を呼ばれたら返事をしてください。
Please respond when your name is called.
火事だ！と大声で叫んで、近所の人たちを呼んだ。
I yelled 'Fire!' and called the neighbors.
彼女は私を夕食に呼んでくれたので、喜んで行った。
She invited me to dinner, so I gladly went.
緊急事態なので、すぐに医者を呼ばなければならない。
It's an emergency, so we must call a doctor immediately.
会議で彼の名前を呼んだが、返事がなかった。
I called his name at the meeting, but there was no reply.
友人たちとパーティーを計画しているので、彼らを呼ぶつもりだ。
I'm planning a party with friends, so I intend to invite them.
子供たちが公園で遊んでいるのを、母親が夕食に呼んでいる。
The mother is calling the children playing in the park for dinner.
その出来事は多くのジャーナリストの注目を呼んだ。
That incident attracted the attention of many journalists.
私たちは新しいメンバーをチームに呼ぶことを検討している。
We are considering inviting new members to the team.
Origen de la palabra
Native Japanese word (Yamato kotoba)
Significado original: To make a sound to attract attention or to summon someone.
JaponicContexto cultural
The verb "呼ぶ" is very versatile. Beyond its literal meaning of 'to call' (like calling a taxi or calling out someone's name), it's also used for 'to invite' (to a party), 'to summon' (a doctor), or even 'to name/refer to' something. For example, a phenomenon might be 'called' a certain way. It reflects a direct and active form of communication or summoning in Japanese culture.
Practica en la vida real
Contextos reales
Calling a person by name
- 名前を呼ぶ (namae o yobu) - to call someone's name
- 彼を呼んでください (kare o yonde kudasai) - Please call him.
- 先生、私を呼んでいますか？ (sensei, watashi o yonde imasu ka?) - Teacher, are you calling me?
Calling a taxi or service
- タクシーを呼ぶ (takushii o yobu) - to call a taxi
- 医者を呼んで (isha o yonde) - Call a doctor.
- ウェイターを呼んでもいいですか？ (weitaa o yonde mo ii desu ka?) - May I call the waiter?
Inviting someone to an event
- 友達を呼ぶ (tomodachi o yobu) - to invite a friend
- パーティーに彼らを呼んだ (paatii ni karera o yonda) - I invited them to the party.
- 彼女は私たちを夕食に呼んだ (kanojo wa watashitachi o yuushoku ni yonda) - She invited us to dinner.
Calling out for help/attention
- 助けを呼ぶ (tasuke o yobu) - to call for help
- 大声で呼ぶ (oogoe de yobu) - to call out loudly
- 誰か！ (dareka!) - Someone! (calling out)
Being called something (e.g., a nickname)
- ～と呼ぶ (to yobu) - to call (someone) ~
- 彼をケンと呼んでいます (kare o Ken to yonde imasu) - We call him Ken.
- 私をメアリーと呼んでください (watashi o Mearii to yonde kudasai) - Please call me Mary.
Inicios de conversación
"誰かを呼んでいますか？ (Dareka o yonde imasu ka?) - Are you calling someone?"
"タクシーを呼ぶ必要がありますか？ (Takushii o yobu hitsuyou ga arimasu ka?) - Do you need to call a taxi?"
"週末に友達を誘う予定はありますか？ (Shuumatsu ni tomodachi o sasou yotei wa arimasu ka?) - Do you have plans to invite friends this weekend?"
"困ったときに誰を呼びますか？ (Komatta toki ni dare o yobimasu ka?) - Who do you call when you're in trouble?"
"あなたの国では、人を呼ぶとき、どんな方法を使いますか？ (Anata no kuni de wa, hito o yobu toki, donna houhou o tsukaimasu ka?) - In your country, what methods do you use when calling people?"
Temas para diario
今日、あなたが呼んだ人や物をリストアップしてください。 (Kyou, anata ga yonda hito ya mono o risuto appu shite kudasai.) - List the people or things you called today.
誰かをパーティに招待するなら、誰を呼びますか？そして、なぜですか？ (Dareka o paati ni shoutai suru nara, dare o yobimasu ka? Soshite, naze desu ka?) - If you were to invite someone to a party, who would you call? And why?
助けが必要なとき、誰を呼ぶことができますか？その理由は何ですか？ (Tasuke ga hitsuyou na toki, dare o yobu koto ga dekimasu ka? Sono riyuu wa nan desu ka?) - When you need help, who can you call? What is the reason?
自分の名前を呼ぶとき、どんな気持ちがしますか？ (Jibun no namae o yobu toki, donna kimochi ga shimasu ka?) - How do you feel when your own name is called?
もしあなたが有名人を呼ぶことができるとしたら、誰を呼びますか？そして何を話しますか？ (Moshi anata ga yuumeijin o yobu koto ga dekiru to shitara, dare o yobimasu ka? Soshite nani o hanashimasu ka?) - If you could call a famous person, who would you call? And what would you talk about?
Preguntas frecuentes
10 preguntasThe Japanese word for 'to call' is 呼ぶ (yobu). It's a common verb you'll use a lot.
Yes, 呼ぶ (yobu) can definitely mean 'to invite.' For example, if you're inviting someone to a party, you might say パーティーに呼ぶ (pātī ni yobu).
呼ぶ (yobu) is considered an A2 level word. This means it's a basic and frequently used verb that you'll learn early on in your Japanese studies.
You would say someone's name followed by を (o) and then 呼ぶ (yobu). For instance, 'Tanaka-san wo yobu' (田中さんを呼ぶ) means 'to call Mr./Ms. Tanaka.'
Yes, another common verb for 'to invite' is 誘う (sasou). While both can mean 'to invite,' 呼ぶ (yobu) often implies a more direct 'calling someone over' or 'gathering people,' whereas 誘う (sasou) is more generally 'to ask someone to do something with you.'
You could say 大声で呼ぶ (ōgoe de yobu), which means 'to call out in a loud voice.' This is useful if you need to get someone's attention from a distance.
Absolutely! You would say タクシーを呼ぶ (takushī o yobu) to mean 'to call a taxi.' It's a very practical use of the verb.
The polite ます (masu) form of 呼ぶ (yobu) is 呼びます (yobimasu). This is the form you'll use in most polite conversations.
The plain past tense of 呼ぶ (yobu) is 呼んだ (yonda). If you want the polite past tense, it's 呼びました (yobimashita).
While you can 'call' a taxi or a dog with 呼ぶ (yobu), it's primarily used when referring to calling out to people, inviting them, or calling for a service. For things like calling a number on the phone, you'd typically use 電話をかける (denwa o kakeru).
Ponte a prueba 36 preguntas
田中さんは私をレストランに___。
Here, '呼びます' (yobimasu) means 'invites'.
電話で友達を___。
Here, '呼びました' (yobimashita) means 'called'.
パーティーにみんなを___つもりです。
Here, '呼ぶ' (yobu) means 'to invite'.
誰かが私の名前を___。
Here, '呼んでいます' (yondeimasu) means 'is calling'.
先生は生徒を___。
Here, '呼んだ' (yonda) means 'called'.
彼を夕食に___たいです。
Here, '呼び' (yobi) means 'to invite'.
Choose the correct kanji for 'yobu' (to call).
呼ぶ (yobu) means 'to call' or 'to invite'. 食べる (taberu) means 'to eat'. 飲む (nomu) means 'to drink'. 行く (iku) means 'to go'.
Which sentence means 'I call my friend'?
友達を呼びます。(Tomodachi o yobimasu.) means 'I call my friend.' ご飯を食べます。(Gohan o tabemasu.) means 'I eat rice.' 水を飲みます。(Mizu o nomimasu.) means 'I drink water.' 学校に行きます。(Gakkou ni ikimasu.) means 'I go to school.'
What is the polite form of '呼ぶ'?
呼びます (yobimasu) is the polite -masu form of 呼ぶ (yobu). 呼んだ (yonda) is the past tense. 呼んで (yonde) is the -te form. 呼ぶ (yobu) is the dictionary form.
You can use 呼ぶ to say 'to invite someone to a party'.
Yes, 呼ぶ can mean 'to invite', so it's correct to use it for inviting someone to a party.
The kanji for 'call' is 食べる.
No, the kanji for 'call' is 呼ぶ. 食べる means 'to eat'.
If you want to politely say 'to call', you should use the form 呼ぶ.
No, 呼ぶ is the dictionary form. For polite speech, you should use 呼びます.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 友達を___一緒に映画に行った。
The sentence means 'I called my friend and went to see a movie together.' '呼んで' (yonde) is the te-form of '呼ぶ' (yobu - to call/invite).
Which sentence correctly uses '呼ぶ' to mean 'to invite'?
This sentence means 'He invited his friends to the party.' The other options refer to calling someone/something.
When you want to get someone's attention by saying their name, which verb do you use?
'呼ぶ' (yobu) is used for calling out to someone or getting their attention. '聞く' (kiku) means to listen, '見る' (miru) means to see, and '言う' (iu) means to say.
You can use '呼ぶ' when you want to hail a taxi.
Yes, 'タクシーを呼ぶ' (takushī o yobu) is a common phrase meaning 'to call/hail a taxi'.
If you want to say 'to read a book', you use '本を呼ぶ'.
No, '本を読む' (hon o yomu) means 'to read a book'. '呼ぶ' (yobu) means 'to call' or 'to invite'.
When a teacher calls a student's name in class, they use the verb '呼ぶ'.
Yes, '名前を呼ぶ' (namae o yobu) means 'to call a name', which is appropriate in this situation.
Listen for 'call' or 'invite' and what follows.
Listen for 'call' and what is being called.
Listen for 'call' and how someone is called.
Read this aloud:
彼を呼んでください。
Focus: 呼んで (yonde)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
友達をパーティーに呼ぶ予定です。
Focus: 呼ぶ (yobu)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
誰が私を呼びましたか？
Focus: 呼びました (yobimashita)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Imagine you're trying to get your friend's attention from across a busy street. How would you call out to them using "呼ぶ"? Write a short sentence.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
ねえ、田中さん！こっちに呼んでいますよ！ (Hey, Tanaka-san! I'm calling you over here!)
You want to invite a new colleague to a casual dinner with other co-workers. How would you use "呼ぶ" to extend this invitation? Write a sentence or two.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
今晩、何人かの同僚と夕食に行くのですが、あなたも一緒にどうですか？ (We're going to dinner with some colleagues tonight, would you like to join us?)
You are at a restaurant and need to call the waiter over to your table. How would you do this politely using "呼ぶ"?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
すみません、店員さんを呼んでもいいですか？ (Excuse me, may I call the waiter?)
Why did B thank A?
Read this passage:
A: もしもし、田中さんですか？ B: はい、そうです。 A: 山田ですが、来週の会議の件でご連絡しました。出席できますか？ B: はい、大丈夫です。会議に私を呼んでくれてありがとうございます。 Question: Why did B thank A?
Why did B thank A?
In the dialogue, B says '会議に私を呼んでくれてありがとうございます。' (Thank you for inviting me to the meeting.), indicating gratitude for the invitation.
In the dialogue, B says '会議に私を呼んでくれてありがとうございます。' (Thank you for inviting me to the meeting.), indicating gratitude for the invitation.
What happened when the speaker called their friend's name?
Read this passage:
先日、公園で友達を見かけたので、大声で名前を呼んでみた。しかし、音楽を聴いていたのか、全く気づいてくれませんでした。結局、近づいて肩を叩くしかなかった。
What happened when the speaker called their friend's name?
The passage states '全く気づいてくれませんでした' (they didn't notice at all) after the speaker called their name.
The passage states '全く気づいてくれませんでした' (they didn't notice at all) after the speaker called their name.
What is the purpose of the telephones in each hotel room?
Read this passage:
このホテルは、お客様がいつでもルームサービスを呼べるように、各部屋に電話を設置しています。深夜でも遠慮なくご利用ください。
What is the purpose of the telephones in each hotel room?
The passage says 'お客様がいつでもルームサービスを呼べるように、各部屋に電話を設置しています' (telephones are installed in each room so guests can call room service anytime).
The passage says 'お客様がいつでもルームサービスを呼べるように、各部屋に電話を設置しています' (telephones are installed in each room so guests can call room service anytime).
I invited him to lunch, but he said he was busy and declined.
In an emergency, you should call for help immediately.
His new project is attracting a lot of attention.
Read this aloud:
「あの人はいつも周りの人を笑顔にする、まさにムードメーカーと呼べる存在だ。」
Focus: ムードメーカー (mood maker)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
「彼女は自分の意見をはっきりと述べ、周りの人々に共感を呼んだ。」
Focus: 共感を呼んだ (aroused empathy)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
「この問題は、早急に専門家を呼んで対応する必要がある。」
Focus: 専門家を呼んで (call an expert)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Ejemplo
友達を家に呼んだ。
Contenido relacionado
Esta palabra en otros idiomas
Gramática relacionada
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について
A2about; concerning
宛先
B1The address or name of the recipient to whom mail or an email is sent.
番地
A2House number
賛同
B1Approval, endorsement; support or agreement with an idea.
~も
A2Too, also.
〜そして
A1And then; and (used to connect sentences or clauses).
〜や
A2And; and so forth (used to list examples, implying others exist).
たり
A2Indicates a non-exhaustive list of actions/states ('and so on').
お知らせ
B1Notice; an announcement or communication.
答え
A2A thing said, written, or done as a reaction to a question or statement.
