選ぶ
えらぶ
hepburn erabu
to choose, to select
Part of speech · godan-verb
Pattern visualization
no decomposition available
Examples
- メニューから好きな料理を選んでください。Please choose your favorite dish from the menu.
- 彼は政治家を職業に選んだ。He chose politics as his profession.
Collocations
選ぶ (erabu, choose)選択 (sentaku, selection)選挙 (senkyo, election)決める (kimeru, decide)よりどり (yoridori, pick and choose)
Mnemonic
Erabu (選ぶ) is a godan verb — "to choose, to select." Sino-Japanese cluster: sentaku suru (selection, suru-verb), senkyo (election), senshu (athlete = one chosen). Cultural note: Japan emphasizes "choosing the best among given options" (sentakushi) — menus, schools, careers are framed as choosing from a presented set. Contrast with kimeru (決める, to decide): erabu picks one from options, kimeru is the final commitment (one more step). The natural flow ryouri o erabu (pick a dish) → kore ni kimeru (this is my choice). Korean "go-reu-da / seon-taek-ha-da / gyeol-jeong-ha-da" parallels.
Quick check
Step difference between erabu and kimeru?