手に入れる
te ni ireru[te̞ ɲ̟i iɾe̞ɾɯ̟]
To get is expressed in Japanese as 手に入れる (te ni ireru).
The phrase 手に入れる is used when you obtain or acquire something. It often carries a nuance of effort or achievement involved in the process of getting the object.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 手 (hand), に (into/to) and 入れる (to put in), literally meaning to put into one's hand.
Which one should you use?
While 手に入れる implies a sense of effort or achievement in obtaining something, the verb もらう is used for receiving something given by someone else.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 手に入れる is 手に入れた (obtained/got), and the desire form is 手に入れたい (want to get/obtain).
How do you pronounce it?
te ni ireru
Did you know?
- If you 'get' a new habit or a skill, Japanese speakers often use the verb 身につける (to put on the body) rather than 'putting it in the hand'.
- The verb 手に入れる can be used for abstract things like 'power' or 'influence', not just physical objects you can hold. This shows that the 'hand' metaphor extends to intangible achievements.
- If you want to say you 'got' a certain number of items, such as eggs, you would use the counter word 個 (ko) rather than just the verb alone. Japanese requires these specific counters to be grammatically correct when counting objects.
Examples in context
- 僕らは食料を手に入れる必要がある。We need to get some food.This sentence is useful for expressing a necessity to obtain food using 手に入れる.Tatoeba #8021116 by Ninja, translation #8018138 by CK
- 彼はその賞を手に入れるために何でもした。He did everything he could to get the prize.This sentence shows how to express doing everything to get a prize using 手に入れる.Tatoeba #1164920 by bunbuku, translation #404679 by CK
- 昨日、卵を何個手に入れることができましたか。How many eggs were you able to get yesterday?This sentence demonstrates how to ask about the quantity of eggs one was able to get using 手に入れる.Tatoeba #1054570 by bunbuku, translation #1054572 by CK
- ゲームの予約をして、新しいソフトを手に入れた。I made a game reservation and got a new software.
- 新しいクライアントを入手しました。I acquired a new client.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are talking about a limited edition game.
- 蓮 Renこの限定版のゲーム、手に入れるのは難しいかな？Kono genteiban no geemu, te ni ireru no wa muzukashii kana?Is it difficult to get this limited edition game?
- 美咲 Misaki予約すれば、きっと手に入れられるよ。Yoyaku sureba, kitto te ni irerareru yo.If you pre-order, I'm sure you can get it.
- 蓮 Ren本当に？早速予約してくるね。Hontou ni? Sassoku yoyaku shite kuru ne.Really? I'll go pre-order it right away.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、頑張って手に入れてね！Un, ganbatte te ni irete ne!Yeah, good luck getting it!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 手に入れる, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
