Oshieru, Narau, Manabu: Japanese Verbs for Teaching and Learning

Oshieru: teaching a subject

Oshieru is an ichidan verb: oshiete is the -te form, oshieta the past, oshiemasu the polite form. Its first meaning is to teach, and the pattern is person ni thing o oshieru: gakusei ni Eigo o oshieru, to teach students English. The subject can be a school teacher, a parent, a colleague showing you the ropes or a friend explaining a game. Oshiekata means the way someone teaches, and oshiego is a former pupil, seen from the teacher's side.

In the workplace, oshieru is how newcomers learn: senpai ga shigoto o oshiete kureta, a senior showed me the job. Oshiete morau, to be taught, is the receiving side, and oshiete ageru offers to teach a friend.

Oshieru as tell: information you did not have

The second meaning is the one you will use most often. Oshieru means to tell someone a piece of information they lack: a name, a phone number, the way, the time, how something works. Michi o oshieru is to tell someone the way, and tsukaikata o oshiete kudasai asks how to use something. English speakers find it strange to be taught a phone number, but in Japanese the idea is simply that knowledge passes to you.

The contrast is with iu, to say, and tsutaeru, to convey. Iu is about the words; oshieru is about the listener gaining knowledge. Tsutaeru moves a message from one person to another. If you want a friend's address, ask jūsho o oshiete, not jūsho o itte. If you want someone to relay your thanks, that is tsutaete, not oshiete.

Narau: learning from a teacher

Narau is to learn something by being taught. It implies a teacher, a class or a course, and the source is marked with ni or kara: sensei ni piano o narau, to learn piano from a teacher. It is the verb for lessons in the traditional sense: shodō o narau, calligraphy; sadō o narau, tea ceremony; jūdō o narau. Naraigoto is the noun for lessons taken outside school, such as swimming or English conversation.

Narau is also used for school subjects already covered: kono kanji wa mō naratta, we have already learned this kanji, meaning it was taught in class. The proverb narau yori nareru, get used to it rather than learn it, captures the structured feel of narau.

Manabu: learning from anything

Manabu is wider and a little more serious. It covers learning from a teacher, but also from books, experience, failure and other people's example. Shippai kara manabu, to learn from failure, has no teacher at all. Because it feels reflective, manabu is common in speeches, interviews and writing: kono shigoto de ōku no koto o manabimashita, I learned a great deal in this job.

In everyday speech, manabu can sound slightly formal compared with narau or benkyō suru, and a student talking about their week would say benkyō shita rather than mananda. Gakushū suru is a formal equivalent used in education and in software: kikai gakushū, machine learning.

Benkyō suru, oboeru, minitsukeru, renshū suru

Benkyō suru is the labour of studying: hours at a desk, homework, exam preparation. It says nothing about success. Nihongo o benkyō shite imasu is the standard way to say you are studying Japanese. Benkyō ni naru, it is educational, is a polite reaction to something interesting, and ii benkyō ni natta is what people say after a mistake that taught them something.

Oboeru is to memorise and to remember. Tango o oboeru, to learn vocabulary; namae o oboeru, to remember a name. The -te form oboete iru means you still remember, and its opposite is wasureru, to forget. Oboeru is about holding information in the head, so it is the right verb for kanji, lines in a play and passwords, but not for skills.

Minitsukeru, literally to attach to the body, is to acquire a skill or habit so that it becomes part of you: Eigo o minitsukeru, to acquire English; manā o minitsukeru, to learn good manners. The intransitive minitsuku describes the skill settling in: yatto minitsuita, it finally stuck. Renshū suru is to practise, the repeated doing that gets you there: hatsuon o renshū suru, to practise pronunciation.

Which verb for which situation

The table lines up the verbs with the situation each one fits. Several verbs can describe the same activity from different angles: a piano student learns from a teacher with narau, practises at home with renshū suru, memorises the piece with oboeru, and acquires the technique over years with minitsukeru.

Fukushū and yoshū are worth knowing because teachers use them constantly: fukushū shite kudasai, please review.

Oshiete kudasai and its politeness levels

Oshiete kudasai is polite enough for strangers, shop staff and most colleagues. When you want to be softer, add moraemasu ka or itadakemasu ka: oshiete itadakemasu ka, could you possibly tell me. Oshiete itadakitai n desu ga trails off and leaves the other person room to respond. Between friends, oshiete or oshiete yo is enough.

In formal writing, go-kyōju kudasai, please instruct me, appears in requests to experts, and go-shidō go-bentatsu no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu is a set phrase asking for guidance when you join a company.

• Oshiete: casual, friends and family
• Oshiete kudasai: polite, everyday
• Oshiete moraemasu ka: polite request, slightly softer
• Oshiete itadakemasu ka: respectful, for seniors and customers
• Oshiete itadakitai n desu ga: respectful and indirect, leaves room to refuse
• Go-kyōju kudasai: formal written request for instruction

Whatever the level, add a reason when the request is a big one: Nihongo o benkyō shite iru node, oshiete itadakemasu ka. Reasons make requests feel lighter.

Mistakes learners make with teaching and learning verbs

The biggest mistake is oshieru for let me know or keep me informed. Nani ka attara oshiete kudasai, tell me if anything comes up, is fine because a fact will be reported. But kekka o oshiete kudasai when you mean please inform me once the result is out sounds slightly off in business email; go-renraku kudasai or o-shirase kudasai are the natural forms. And when you want someone to pass your message on, the verb is tsutaeru: yoroshiku o-tsutae kudasai, never oshiete kudasai.

The second is narau for learning from experience. Shippai kara naratta is odd because failure does not give lessons; say shippai kara mananda. The third is oboeru for skills. Oyogu no o oboeta, I picked up swimming, is fine in casual speech, but oyogi o minitsuketa is the precise phrase for a skill that is now yours.

Finally, when a Japanese person asks you oshiete kudasai, they are asking for information, not offering to become your student. Answer with the fact, not with a lesson.