追いつく
oitsuku
The English phrase "catch up" can be translated into Japanese as 追いつく (oitsuku).
While the English "catch up" can refer to getting up to date with news, the Japanese verb 追いつく is primarily used for physically catching up to someone or reaching a certain level or standard. In formal professional contexts, the phrase 同等になる (to become equal) may be used to convey the idea of reaching the same level as someone else.
Meaning: to be brought up to date with news (verb)
How do you pronounce it?
oitsuku
Did you know?
- When catching up in a social sense, Japanese people may use the phrase 積もる話 (tsumoru hanashi), which literally means 'stories that have piled up like snow'.
- While 追いつく describes the act of catching up, Japanese speakers often use the word 近況報告 (kinkyo hokoku) to describe the specific social activity of 'catching up' on each other's lives.
- If you are catching up on missed work or sleep, Japanese uses the term 取り戻す (torimodosu), which literally means 'to take back' or 'to recover' the lost time.
Examples in context
- すぐ追いつくから。I'll soon catch up with you.This sentence is useful for saying you will catch up with someone shortly using 追いつく.Tatoeba #214761 by bunbuku, translation #52055 by CK
- トム先行ってて。すぐ追いつくから。You go ahead, Tom. I'll catch up soon.This sentence is useful for telling someone to go ahead while you catch up using 追いつく.Tatoeba #2806589 by tommy_san, translation #2807263 by ramen
- 追いつくのにどれだけ時間がかかるか？How much time will it take to catch up?This sentence is useful for asking how much time is needed to catch up using 追いつく.Tatoeba #10965442 by small_snow, translation #12977920 by urro
- 最新のエンターテイメントについていくのは難しい！It's difficult to keep up with the latest entertainment!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are meeting for coffee after a long time.
- 大翔 Hiroto最近どうだった？話に追いつきたいよ。Saikin dou datta? Hanashi ni oitsukitai yo.How have you been lately? I want to catch up on everything.
- 美咲 Misakiいいよ！いろいろあったから、全部話すね。Ii yo! Iroiro atta kara, zenbu hanasu ne.Sure! A lot happened, so I'll tell you everything.
- 大翔 Hiroto楽しみ。ゆっくり追いつくよ。Tanoshimi. Yukkurī oitsuku yo.I'm looking forward to it. I'll catch up slowly.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、まずは仕事の話からね。Jaa, mazu wa shigoto no hanashi kara ne.Then, let's start with the talk about work first.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
