答える

• 読み: こたえる
• ローマ字: kotaeru
• 漢字の分解: 答 (tou/kota) — answer, reply, response
• 発音: /ko.ta.e.ɾɯ/

意味

To answer; to reply; to respond. Used when giving a response to a question or call.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Takes the particle に for the thing being answered (質問に答える). The related noun 答え means 'answer.' Distinct from 返事する (to reply, more casual acknowledgement) — 答える implies providing substantive content in response.

例文

1. 先生の質問に答えました。
2. 電話に答えてください。
3. すぐに答えられなかった。

使い方ガイド

場面: school, conversation, daily life

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

The kanji 答 combines 竹 (bamboo) and 合 (to match/join). Bamboo strips were used for written correspondence in ancient times, and a response that 'matched' the inquiry became the concept of answering.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal