拾う
hirou[çiɾo̞ɯ̟]
In Japanese, 'pick up' can be translated as 拾う (hirou). Wiktionary also lists 拾い上げる (hiroiageru).
Meaning: to lift, to grasp and raise (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 拾う | hirou | [çiɾo̞ɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 拾い上げる | hiroiageru | [çiɾo̞ia̠ɡe̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
The term 拾う is commonly used for picking up dropped items or finding something that was lost on the ground.
Which one should you use?
While 拾う (hirou) focuses on the act of picking something up (often from the ground), 拾い上げる (hiroiageru) emphasizes the upward motion of lifting something up.
How do you pronounce it?
hirou
Did you know?
- If you use 拾う (hirou) to mean 'to pick up' a person, it can sound like you are picking up a lost object from the ground, which might sound quite dehumanizing or strange.
- The verb 拾い上げる (hiroiageru) can also be used metaphorically in Japanese to describe 'picking up' or 'noticing' a subtle point in a conversation or a small detail in a text.
- In Japanese, 拾う is the standard verb used when describing the act of adopting a stray animal from the street.
Examples in context
- パッケージを取りに行きます。I'll pick up the package.
- 差し入れを取りに伺います。I'll pick up the gift.
- 書類を取りに行かせていただきます。May I pick up the documents?
- 友達の家に取りに行くよ。I'll pick it up from my friend's house.
- 明日お弁当を取りに行くね。I'll pick up the bento box tomorrow, alright?
- 落ちたペンを拾う。ochita pen o hirou.Pick up the dropped pen.
- 忘れ物を拾う。wasuremono o hirou.Pick up a forgotten item.
Example conversation
Hiroto and Himari are walking in a park.
- 大翔 Hirotoあ、陽葵、そこにコインが落ちているよ。A, Himari, soko ni koin ga ochite iru yo.Oh, Himari, there is a coin on the ground.
- 陽葵 Himari本当だ！私が拾うね。Hontou da! Watashi ga hirou ne.You're right! I'll pick it up.
- 大翔 Hiroto誰かの忘れ物かもしれないね。Dareka no wasuremono kamoshirenai ne.Someone might have forgotten it.
- 陽葵 Himari警察に届けに行こう。Keisatsu ni todoke ni ikou.Let's go take it to the police.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pick up” translations and entries 拾う, 拾い上げる, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
