償う

• 読み: つぐなう
• ローマ字: tsugunau
• 漢字の分解: 償 (shō/tsuguna) — compensate, atone, repay
• 発音: /tsɯ.ɡɯ.na.ɯ/

意味

To make up for; to compensate for; to atone for; to indemnify; to redeem a fault.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb used when making amends for wrongdoing, compensating for damages, or repaying a debt — whether moral or financial. Carries a heavier emotional weight than 弁償する, implying a sense of moral responsibility and the desire to set things right.

例文

1. 過去の過ちを償うために努力している。
2. 損害を金銭で償うことになった。
3. どんなに謝っても、失った時間は償えない。

使い方ガイド

場面: legal, moral responsibility, literature

トーン: serious

起源と歴史

From the kanji 償 meaning to compensate or repay. Originally referred to repaying financial debts, but expanded to include moral atonement. The kanji combines 人 (person) and 賞 (reward), suggesting a person giving back what is owed.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal