なす

• Reading: なす
• Romaji: nasu
• Formation: Noun + をなす / なすすべ(も)ない / 名をなす / 財をなす
• Kanji breakdown: 為 (do, act, make)

Meaning

A verb meaning 'to do,' 'to accomplish,' or 'to cause something to happen,' used primarily in formal or literary contexts. It implies deliberate action or the bringing about of a result.

なす (為す) is a literary verb that functions as a more formal or elevated equivalent of する in certain contexts. It appears in set expressions (なすすべがない = no means to deal with it, 財をなす = to amass wealth, 名をなす = to make a name for oneself) and in literary descriptions of causation or achievement. The causative form なさせる is rarely used; instead, なす itself often carries inherent causative meaning — 'to bring about' or 'to produce.' It also appears in the grammatical pattern ～をなす, meaning 'to constitute' or 'to form' (弧をなす = to form an arc). Unlike する, which is neutral and all-purpose, なす carries weight and gravitas, making it unsuitable for casual or everyday actions.

Examples

1. 数十万の難民が長い列をなして国境を目指していた。 Hundreds of thousands of refugees formed long lines heading for the border.
2. 津波を前にして、住民はなすすべもなく立ち尽くしていた。 In the face of the tsunami, the residents stood helplessly with no means to do anything.
3. 若くして国際的に名をなした研究者は、その後も精力的に活動を続けた。 The researcher who made an international name at a young age continued to work energetically afterward.

Usage Guide

Context: written, literary, academic

Tone: dignified

Do Say

• 為政者がなすべきことは、国民の生活を守ることである。
• 避難民は砂漠で長蛇の列をなして水を待っていた。
• 彼は一代で巨万の富をなし、慈善事業に生涯を捧げた。

Don't Say

• 朝ごはんをなした。 (Using なす for an everyday mundane action — なす is reserved for literary, formal, or set expressions, not routine activities like eating breakfast) → 朝ごはんを食べた。
• 宿題をなした。 (Using なす as a simple replacement for する — なす cannot freely substitute for する in casual everyday contexts) → 宿題をした。

Origin & History

なす (為す) is one of the oldest verbs in Japanese, attested from the earliest literary texts of the Nara period. The kanji 為 means 'to do' or 'to act' in classical Chinese and was adopted into Japanese with a similarly elevated register. While する overtook なす in everyday usage, なす has survived in literary language and fixed expressions.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal