誘う
sasou[sa̠so̞ɯ̟]
The English phrase invite can be translated into Japanese as 誘う (sasou), 招待する, 招く or 請う.
Meaning: ask for the presence or participation of someone (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 誘う | sasou | [sa̠so̞ɯ̟] (narrow) [iza̠na̠ɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 招待する | shōtai suru | |
| 招く | maneku | [ma̠ne̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 請う | kou | [ko̞ɯ̟] (narrow) |
Which one should you use?
請う is a literary term.
How do you pronounce it?
sasou
Did you know?
- The form 招く is used not only for inviting guests but also for 'inviting' or 'bringing about' a disaster or a specific result.
- In Japanese social culture, an invitation is sometimes declined with a vague phrase like 検討します ('I will consider it') to avoid the social friction of saying 'no' directly.
- The verb 誘う (sasou) originates from the ancient exclamation いざ (iza), which was a command used to urge someone to 'come on' or 'join in'.
Examples in context
- 何人招待する予定なの？How many people do you plan to invite?This sentence is useful for asking about plans involving the form 招待する.Tatoeba #11911819 by bunbuku, translation #12290324 by CK
- トムを誘うの忘れたでしょう？You forgot to invite Tom, didn't you?This sentence is useful for mentioning a forgotten invitation using the form 誘う.Tatoeba #10201366 by small_snow, translation #9434975 by CK
- お金があったら、世界一周の旅に招待するんだけどね。If I had the money, I'd invite you to a trip around the world.This sentence is useful for expressing a hypothetical invitation to a trip using the form 招待する.Tatoeba #11529751 by small_snow, translation #9346428 by DJ_Saidez
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are talking about a movie.
- 陽太 Yota今度、映画に誘うね。Kondo, eiga ni sasou ne.I'll invite you to a movie next time.
- 美咲 Misaki本当？楽しみにしてるね。Hontou? Tanoshimi ni shiteru ne.Really? I'm looking forward to it.
- 陽太 Yota他の友達も誘おうかな。Hoka no tomodachi mo sasou kana.I wonder if I should invite other friends too.
- 美咲 Misakiいいと思うよ！Ii to omou yo!I think that's a good idea!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “invite” translations and entries 誘う, 招く, 請う, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 誘う, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
