教える

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 日本語を教えてくれませんか。▶ —
   Could you teach me Japanese?
2. 駅までの道を教えてください。▶ —
   Please tell me the way to the station.

Collocations

Mnemonic

おしえる — 教える, Yamato. An ichidan verb. Transitive. The kanji 教 is the old image of teaching beside a child (子) with a switch (攵) in hand ── the 教 of 教育 (education). One verb holds two fields ── systematic teaching: 日本語を教える (teach Japanese). giving information: 道を教える (tell the way), 電話番号を教える (give a phone number). English and Korean split teach and tell, but Japanese lets 教える carry both the teaching of a classroom and the telling on a street corner. The perspective pair is 習う narau (to learn) ── 教える is the teacher, 習う the learner. Two directions of one event. A polite request meeting ~てくれる ── 教えてくれませんか (could you tell me?). The 授受動詞 grammar of K-27-G works again here. The Korean reading gyo is sister to the onyomi きょう.

Quick check

1. Meaning of "michi o oshieru"?

   • Tell / inform the way (information)
   • Teach morals
   • Lecture on philosophy of the Way
   • Teach how to walk