決める

Japanese

Kanji in this term
決
き Grade: 3
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
極める (less common)

Etymology

Derived as the transitive form of Old Japanese verb 決む (kimu, “to decide something, to conclude something; to be decided, to be concluded”).^[1]^[2]^[3]

The source verb kimu appears to follow a common pattern in Old Japanese verbs where the bare form is either transitive or intransitive, depending on context. This pattern persists in some modern verbs, such as つく (tsuku). Many of these Old Japanese verbs developed explicit transitive and intransitive forms, with one group adopting an -aru on the end for the intransitive (as the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis or incomplete form”) ending in -a + the conjugating る (ru) as the basic spontaneous or passive verb ending), and an -eru on the end for the transitive (as the 已然形 (izenkei, “realis or potential form”) + the disappearing る (ru) as a generic verb ending).

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) きめる [kìmérú] (Heiban – [0])^[2]^[4]
IPA^(key): [kʲime̞ɾɯ̟]

Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 決める

Plain	決める	きめる	`[kìmérú]`
Conjunctive	決めて	きめて	`[kìmété]`
Perfective	決めた	きめた	`[kìmétá]`
Negative	決めない	きめない	`[kìménáí]`
Negative perfective	決めなかった	きめなかった	`[kìménáꜜkàttà]`
Hypothetical conditional	決めれば	きめれば	`[kìméréꜜbà]`
Past conditional	決めたら	きめたら	`[kìmétáꜜrà]`
Imperative	決めろ決めよ	きめろきめよ	`[kìméró]` `[kìméꜜyò]`
Volitional	決めよう	きめよー	`[kìméyóꜜò]`
Desiderative	決めたい	きめたい	`[kìmétáí]`
Formal	決めます	きめます	`[kìmémáꜜsù]`
Formal negative	決めません	きめません	`[kìmémáséꜜǹ]`
Formal volitional	決めましょう	きめましょー	`[kìmémáshóꜜò]`
Formal perfective	決めました	きめました	`[kìmémáꜜshìtà]`
Continuative	決め決めに	きめきめに	`[kìmé]` `[kìmé ní]`
Negative continuative	決めず決めずに	きめずきめずに	`[kìmézú]` `[kìmézú ní]`
Passive	決められる	きめられる	`[kìmérárérú]`
Causative	決めさせる決めさす	きめさせるきめさす	`[kìmésásérú]` `[kìmésású]`
Potential	決められる決めれる	きめられるきめれる	`[kìmérárérú]` `[kìmérérú]`

Verb

決(き)める • (kimeru) transitive ichidan (stem 決(き)め (kime), past 決(き)めた (kimeta))

Japanese verb pair
active	決める
mediopassive	決まる

to make a choice between multiple alternatives, to decide
日(にち)時(じ)を決(き)める
nichiji o kimeru
to choose a time

This verb also has many idiomatic shades of meaning based on the underlying sense of decide:
1. to decide to do something: to do something on purpose
  横(おう)着(ちゃく)を決(き)める
  ōchaku o kimeru
  to decide to shirk → to shirk intentionally
2. to perform a maneuver, to carry out a tactical action
  スクイズを決(き)めた
  sukuizu o kimeta
  We've decided on the squeeze → The squeeze play is on.
3. to decide on an opinion: to believe in an opinion firmly
  彼(かれ)を犯(はん)人(にん)と決(き)めてかかる
  kare o hannin to kimete kakaru
  I know he was the murderer from the very beginning
4. to decide on a common course of action: to be accustomed to do, to do habitually
  朝(ちょう)食(しょく)はパンに決(き)めている
  chōshoku wa pan ni kimete iru
  I always eat bread for breakfast
  
  This usage takes the particle に (ni), and usually uses the -ている (-te iru) progressive form.
5. to make an impressive or attractive physical appearance, usually by grooming oneself or making some unusual gestures
  黒(くろ)い背広(せびろ)と紺色(こんいろ)のシャツで決(き)める
  kuroi sebiro to kon'iro no shatsu de kimeru
  to decide on one's appearance with a black suit and indigo shirt → to be set or look sharp in a black suit and indigo shirt
6. キメる: (derogatory) to decide to eat or use something: to eat, to intake, to consume
  シャブをキメる
  shabu o kimeru
  to use addictive drugs

Conjugation

Conjugation of "決める" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	決め	きめ	kime
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	決め	きめ	kime
Shūshikei ("terminal")	決める	きめる	kimeru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	決める	きめる	kimeru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	決めれ	きめれ	kimere
Meireikei ("imperative")	決めよ¹ 決めろ²	きめよ¹ きめろ²	kimeyo¹ kimero²
Key constructions
Passive	決められる	きめられる	kimerareru
Causative	決めさせる決めさす	きめさせるきめさす	kimesaseru kimesasu
Potential	決められる決めれる³	きめられるきめれる³	kimerareru kimereru³
Volitional	決めよう	きめよう	kimeyō
Negative	決めない決めぬ決めん	きめないきめぬきめん	kimenai kimenu kimen
Negative continuative	決めず	きめず	kimezu
Formal	決めます	きめます	kimemasu
Perfective	決めた	きめた	kimeta
Conjunctive	決めて	きめて	kimete
Hypothetical conditional	決めれば	きめれば	kimereba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative ³ Colloquial potential

Related terms

決(き)まる (kimaru): to be decided, to be concluded, to be brought to a resolution (intransitive form)

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (1995), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

“決める”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[DJS-3] Matsumura, Akira, editor (1995), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[SMK5-4] Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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