拒む

Japanese

Etymology

Kanji in this term
拒
こば Grade: S
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. First attested in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE.[1]

According to Samuel Martin, appears to be a fusion of kopa-, the stem of adjective 強し (kopasi, “stiff, hard”) + 阻む (habamu, “to obstruct, prevent, thwart”).[2] However, the term habamu is not attested until 830,[3] while related intransitive term 憚る (habakaru, “to be put off, to be deterred, to hesitate”) is attested since 720.[4]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) こばむ [kòbáꜜmù] (Nakadaka – [2])[5]
IPA^(key): [ko̞ba̠mɯ̟ᵝ]

Verb

拒(こば)む • (kobamu) godan (stem 拒(こば)み (kobami), past 拒(こば)んだ (kobanda))

[from 720] to refuse (to do) something, to reject something
Synonyms: 断る (kotowaru), 否む (inamu)
Antonyms: 受け取る (uketoru), 受け入れる (ukeireru), 認める (mitomeru)
[from 885] to block or obstruct
Synonyms: 妨げる (samatageru), 防ぐ (fusegu), 阻む (habamu)

Conjugation

Conjugation of "拒む" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	拒ま	こばま	kobama
Continuative (連用形)	拒み	こばみ	kobami
Terminal (終止形)	拒む	こばむ	kobamu
Attributive (連体形)	拒む	こばむ	kobamu
Hypothetical (仮定形)	拒め	こばめ	kobame
Imperative (命令形)	拒め	こばめ	kobame
Key constructions
Passive	拒まれる	こばまれる	kobamareru
Causative	拒ませる拒ます	こばませるこばます	kobamaseru kobamasu
Potential	拒める	こばめる	kobameru
Volitional	拒もう	こばもう	kobamō
Negative	拒まない	こばまない	kobamanai
Negative continuative	拒まず	こばまず	kobamazu
Formal	拒みます	こばみます	kobamimasu
Perfective	拒んだ	こばんだ	kobanda
Conjunctive	拒んで	こばんで	kobande
Hypothetical conditional	拒めば	こばめば	kobameba

References

“拒”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
Martin, Samuel E. (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 710
“阻・沮”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
“憚”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NKDKobamu-1] “拒”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN

[2] Martin, Samuel E. (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 710

[KDJ2-habamu-3] “阻・沮”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN

[KDJ2-habakaru-4] “憚”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN

[DJR-5] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN