扱う

• Reading: あつかう
• Romaji: atsukau
• Kanji breakdown: 扱 (atsuka) — handle, treat, deal with
• Pronunciation: /a.tsɯ.ka.ɯ/

Meaning

To treat; to handle; to deal with. Used for managing things, people, or situations.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb. Covers physical handling (機械を扱う — to operate a machine), treating people (子供扱いする — to treat like a child), and dealing with topics (テーマを扱う — to deal with a theme). The related noun 取り扱い (handling/treatment) appears in business and official contexts.

Examples

1. この機械は丁寧に扱ってください。 Please handle this machine with care.
2. その店は輸入品を扱っている。 That store deals in imported goods.
3. 彼女はいつも部下を公平に扱う。 She always treats her subordinates fairly.

Usage Guide

Context: business, daily life, work

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 扱 contains the hand radical (扌) suggesting manual manipulation, combined with 及 (to reach) — reaching out with the hand to manage something.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal