馳せる

• Reading: はせる
• Romaji: haseru
• Kanji breakdown: 馳 (chi/ha) — run swiftly, gallop
• Pronunciation: /ha.se.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To run swiftly; to let one's thoughts or feelings fly toward something distant. The figurative sense dominates modern usage.

A Group 2 (ichidan) literary verb. Originally meant to gallop or race at speed, but in modern Japanese it appears almost exclusively in figurative expressions: 思いを馳せる (to let one's thoughts drift toward), 名を馳せる (to become famous far and wide), 心を馳せる (to direct one's heart toward). A hallmark of elegant, literary prose style.

Examples

1. 故郷の景色に思いを馳せながら、窓の外を眺めた。 I gazed out the window, letting my thoughts drift to the scenery of my hometown.
2. その作家は若くして世界に名を馳せた。 That author gained worldwide fame at a young age.
3. 被災地の人々に心を馳せ、支援活動に参加することにした。 I decided to participate in relief efforts, with my heart going out to the people in the disaster-stricken area.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, emotions, reputation, reflection

Tone: reflective

Origin & History

From Old Japanese はす/はせ, meaning to make run or gallop. Originally used for horses and swift messengers. The classical sense of rapid movement transformed over centuries into the poetic image of thoughts and feelings rushing toward a distant object, place, or person.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated