決める

Japanese

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

Alternative spellings
極める (less common) キメる ("consume" sense)

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]

Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形)	決める	きめる	[kìmérú]
Imperative (命令形)	決めろ	きめろ	[kìméró]
Key constructions
Passive	決められる	きめられる	[kìmérárérú]
Causative	決めさせる	きめさせる	[kìmésásérú]
Potential	決められる	きめられる	[kìmérárérú]
Volitional	決めよう	きめよー	[kìméyóꜜò]
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]
Formal	決めます	きめます	[kìmémáꜜsù]
Perfective	決めた	きめた	[kìmétá]
Conjunctive	決めて	きめて	[kìmété]
Hypothetical conditional	決めれば	きめれば	[kìméréꜜbà]

• Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 「決める」

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

1. 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

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

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

Related terms

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

References

1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
3. Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
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