配る

• Reading: くばる
• Romaji: kubaru
• Kanji breakdown: 配 (hai/kuba) — to distribute, arrange
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.ba.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To distribute; to hand out; to deal (cards); to pay attention. A versatile verb for spreading something among multiple recipients, including attention and care.

A Group 1 (godan) verb with concrete and abstract uses. Concretely: distributing items to multiple people (チラシを配る). Abstractly: 気を配る (to be attentive and considerate), 目を配る (to keep a watchful eye), 心を配る (to take care of others). These compound expressions are extremely common in N1-level writing and speech.

Examples

1. 会議の前に資料を参加者全員に配った。 Materials were distributed to all participants before the meeting.
2. 教師は教室の隅々まで目を配って授業を進めた。 The teacher kept a watchful eye on every corner of the classroom while conducting the lesson.
3. 周囲に気を配りながら慎重に発言する必要がある。 You need to be mindful of your surroundings and speak carefully.

Usage Guide

Context: work, events, social consideration, teaching

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 配 depicts a person (人) beside a wine vessel (酉), originally referring to pouring and distributing wine at a banquet. The sense of deliberate, orderly distribution extends to all modern uses.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal