§ 親しく (shitashiku) vs. 親しい (shitashii)
One of the most common mistakes learners make is confusing the adverb 親しく (shitashiku) with its adjective form, 親しい (shitashii). While they are related, their grammatical functions are different. 親しい (shitashii) is an い-adjective meaning 'close' or 'intimate,' used to describe nouns. 親しく (shitashiku) is an adverb, meaning 'intimately' or 'closely,' used to modify verbs or other adjectives.
彼は親しい友人です。
- HINT
- He is a close friend.
彼と親しく話しました。
- HINT
- I spoke with him closely/intimately.
§ Using 親しく (shitashiku) with inappropriate verbs
親しく (shitashiku) implies a sense of closeness, familiarity, or intimacy in interactions. It's best used with verbs that involve communication, association, or building relationships. Using it with verbs that don't convey this sense of personal connection can sound unnatural.
- GOOD EXAMPLES
- 親しくする (to become close, to be intimate with)
- 親しく話す (to talk intimately/closely)
- 親しく付き合う (to associate closely with)
Avoid using 親しく (shitashiku) with verbs like 'to eat,' 'to walk,' or 'to read' unless you're trying to convey a very specific, often metaphorical, sense of intimacy with the action itself, which is rare and advanced usage.
§ Overusing 親しく (shitashiku) for general 'friendly' interactions
While 親しく (shitashiku) implies friendliness, it often suggests a deeper level of intimacy or closeness than just being generally friendly. If you just want to say you interacted in a friendly way, other expressions might be more natural. For example, simply using a polite verb form or another adverb like 丁寧に (teinei ni - politely) or 友好的に (yūkōteki ni - in a friendly manner) might be more appropriate depending on the context.
先生と親しく話しました。
- HINT
- I spoke intimately/closely with the teacher. (This implies a deep personal connection, perhaps too strong for a typical teacher-student relationship.)
In the above example, if you just meant you had a good conversation with your teacher, without implying deep personal intimacy, it might be better to say:
先生と楽しく話しました。
- HINT
- I had a pleasant conversation with the teacher.
§ Not understanding the nuance in different contexts
The nuance of 親しく (shitashiku) can vary slightly depending on the context. While it generally means 'intimately' or 'closely,' it can sometimes lean towards 'cordially' or 'familiarly' in certain set phrases.
- DEFINITION
- In phrases like 親しくしていただく (shitashiku shite itadaku), it means to receive someone's kindness or to be treated well/cordially.
今後とも親しくお付き合いください。
- HINT
- Please continue to associate closely/cordially with me in the future.
Here, it’s not just about being 'intimate' but also about maintaining a good, familiar relationship. Being aware of these contextual shifts will help you use the word more naturally.
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Ejemplos por nivel
彼女は彼と親しく話しました。
She spoke intimately with him.
私たちは親しくなりました。
We became close.
彼らは親しく付き合っています。
They are dating intimately.
私は彼と親しい友人です。
I am a close friend with him.
親しい関係を築きたいです。
I want to build a close relationship.
彼女は彼に親しく話しかけました。
She spoke to him intimately.
私たちは親しく交流しています。
We interact closely.
この本で日本語に親しむことができます。
You can familiarize yourself with Japanese through this book.
彼とは親しくしています。
I am close with him.
彼女は誰とでも親しくなれるタイプです。
She's the type who can become close with anyone.
子供の頃からの親しい友人です。
We are close friends since childhood.
親しく話せる人がいて安心しました。
I felt relieved to have someone I could talk closely with.
彼らは家族のように親しく付き合っています。
They associate intimately, like family.
私たちは親しくなりたいと思っています。
We want to become close.
もっと親しく話しましょう。
Let's talk more intimately/freely.
親しくしてくれてありがとう。
Thank you for being close/friendly.
Consejos
Basic Meaning of 親しく
親しく (shitashiku) means intimately or closely. It describes the nature of a relationship or interaction.
Using 親しく with Verbs
You'll often see 親しく used with verbs that imply interaction, like 話す (hanasu, to talk), 付き合う (tsukiau, to associate with), or する (suru, to do/make).
親しくする: To Become Close
A very common phrase is 親しくする (shitashiku suru), which means to become close or to make friends with someone.
親しい (Adjective Form)
Remember the related i-adjective 親しい (shitashii), meaning intimate, close, or familiar. 親しく is the adverbial form of this adjective.
Example: Talking Closely
彼と親しく話しました。(Kare to shitashiku hanashimashita.) - I talked closely with him. (Meaning: We had a friendly, personal conversation.)
Example: Becoming Friends
彼女と親しくなりたいです。(Kanojo to shitashiku naritai desu.) - I want to become close with her. (Meaning: I want to be friends with her.)
Example: Living Intimately
親しく交流する。(Shitashiku kōryū suru.) - To interact intimately. (Meaning: To have close communication/exchange.)
Nuance of Closeness
親しく implies a level of personal connection and comfort that goes beyond mere acquaintance. It suggests a friendly and informal relationship.
Not for Physical Closeness
Don't use 親しく to describe physical proximity (e.g., 'standing close'). For that, you would use words like 近くに (chikaku ni, near) or そばに (soba ni, beside).
More Formal Alternatives
While 親しく is common, in very formal contexts, you might use expressions that convey respect rather than just closeness. However, for everyday communication, 親しく is perfectly appropriate.
Ponte a prueba 36 preguntas
This means 'I spoke intimately with him.' The adverb '親しく' (shitashiku) modifies the verb '話しました' (hanashimashita - spoke).
This means 'She plays closely with her friends.' '親しく' (shitashiku) describes how she plays with friends.
This means 'We became close.' The adverb '親しく' (shitashiku) combines with 'なりました' (narimashita - became) to express becoming close.
Write a sentence describing two friends who know each other very well.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
彼らは親しく話します。
Write a sentence about becoming close with a new person.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
彼女と親しくなりました。
Write a sentence saying you want to get to know someone better.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
あなたともっと親しくなりたいです。
この二人はどんな関係ですか？
Read this passage:
佐藤さんと田中さんは、いつも一緒にいます。彼らは親しく話をします。よくお互いの家に行きます。休みの日に映画を見たり、買い物に行ったりします。
この二人はどんな関係ですか？
文章から、佐藤さんと田中さんはいつも一緒にいて、親しく話すことが分かります。なので、親しい友達です。
文章から、佐藤さんと田中さんはいつも一緒にいて、親しく話すことが分かります。なので、親しい友達です。
「親しく話せるようになりました」は何を意味しますか？
Read this passage:
先週、新しいクラスメートに会いました。最初は少し緊張しましたが、すぐに親しく話せるようになりました。私たちは共通の趣味がたくさんあります。
「親しく話せるようになりました」は何を意味しますか？
「親しく話せるようになりました」は、以前よりも関係が深まり、仲良くなったことを示しています。
「親しく話せるようになりました」は、以前よりも関係が深まり、仲良くなったことを示しています。
この人は何をしたいですか？
Read this passage:
私は日本の文化が好きです。日本の友達と親しくなって、色々なことを学びたいです。
この人は何をしたいですか？
「日本の友達と親しくなって、色々なことを学びたいです」という文から、日本の友達と仲良くなりたいと考えていることが分かります。
「日本の友達と親しくなって、色々なことを学びたいです」という文から、日本の友達と仲良くなりたいと考えていることが分かります。
What happens when you get close to him?
What kind of relationship do I have with her?
Who am I grateful to?
Read this aloud:
私たちはすぐに親しくなりました。
Focus: し•た•し•く
Dijiste:
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Read this aloud:
彼女は誰とでも親しく話します。
Focus: だ•れ•と•で•も
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
親しくしている友人に相談しました。
Focus: そ•う•だ•ん•し•ま•し•た
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
The sentence means 'He spoke intimately with her.' The particles indicate the subject and the person he spoke with.
This sentence means 'We quickly became close.' The adverb 'すぐに' (quickly) modifies '親しくなる' (to become close).
The sentence means 'They are closely associated/dating intimately.' 'つきあう' means to associate with or date.
彼女は長年の友人と___話し込んでいた。
「親しく」は、親密に、近しくという意味で、長年の友人と話す状況に最も適しています。
その二人は、初対面にもかかわらず___打ち解けた雰囲気だった。
「親しく」は、親密な雰囲気を表すのに適切であり、初対面で打ち解ける様子によく合います。
彼は、以前から___付き合っていた会社の同僚と結婚した。
「親しく付き合う」は、親密な関係を築いていることを示す表現であり、結婚に至る関係に適しています。
私はこの作家の作品を___読んでいるので、彼の思想には詳しい。
ここでは「親しく読んでいる」は、その作家の作品を深く理解し、親しみを持って読んでいることを意味します。
彼女は、見知らぬ人ともすぐに___なることができる。
「親しくなる」は、親密な関係を築くことを意味し、社交的な人物の特性を表すのに適切です。
彼らは互いの家族とも___交流がある。
「親しく交流がある」は、互いの家族間で親密な関係が築かれていることを示します。
Choose the sentence where 親しく is used correctly.
親しく (shitashiku) means 'intimately' or 'closely,' often referring to relationships. It is correctly used here to describe becoming close with someone.
Which of the following best describes the nuance of 親しく?
親しく (shitashiku) emphasizes a deep and personal connection or familiarity with someone.
Select the most appropriate synonym for 親しく when describing a relationship.
親密に (shinmitsu ni) is a close synonym for 親しく (shitashiku) when referring to the intimacy of a relationship.
「親しく」 can be used to describe the act of studying something in great detail.
While 'intimately' might imply detail in English, in Japanese, 親しく (shitashiku) primarily refers to social intimacy or familiarity with people, not the detailed study of objects or concepts.
If you are 親しく with someone, you likely know them well on a personal level.
親しく (shitashiku) indicates a close, personal relationship where individuals know each other well.
The phrase「親しく話す」 (shitashiku hanasu) means to speak formally.
「親しく話す」 (shitashiku hanasu) means to speak intimately or informally, reflecting a close relationship, not formally.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Basic Meaning of 親しく
親しく (shitashiku) means intimately or closely. It describes the nature of a relationship or interaction.
Using 親しく with Verbs
You'll often see 親しく used with verbs that imply interaction, like 話す (hanasu, to talk), 付き合う (tsukiau, to associate with), or する (suru, to do/make).
親しくする: To Become Close
A very common phrase is 親しくする (shitashiku suru), which means to become close or to make friends with someone.
親しい (Adjective Form)
Remember the related i-adjective 親しい (shitashii), meaning intimate, close, or familiar. 親しく is the adverbial form of this adjective.
Ejemplo
彼とは高校時代から親しくしています。
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