託ける

• Reading: かこつける
• Romaji: kakotsukeru
• Kanji breakdown: 託 (taku/kako) — entrust, pretext, excuse
• Pronunciation: /ka.ko.tsɯ.ke.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To use as a pretext; to make an excuse of something; to use one thing as a cover reason for doing another.

A Group 2 (ichidan) verb conjugated as 託け-ない, 託け-ます. Almost always appears in the pattern 〜に託けて (using X as a pretext). Implies a somewhat dishonest or self-serving invocation of a justification. The relationship between the stated reason and the actual motive is typically weak or contrived.

Examples

1. 出張に託けて旧友に会いに行った。 He used a business trip as a pretext to visit an old friend.
2. 体調不良に託けて面倒な会議をすべて欠席した。 She used feeling unwell as an excuse to skip all the tedious meetings.
3. 彼は仕事の疲れに託けて、家事をすべて妻に押しつけていた。 He used work exhaustion as an excuse to push all the housework onto his wife.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, excuses, social behaviour

Tone: slightly negative

Origin & History

Possibly related to 託す (tanomu/takusu, to entrust) with a compound suffix. The word carries a nuance of 'entrusting' one's real behaviour to the shelter of a convenient stated reason.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal