任せる

• Reading: まかせる
• Romaji: makaseru
• Kanji breakdown: 任 (nin/maka) — entrust, appoint, responsibility
• Pronunciation: /ma.ka.se.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To entrust; to leave up to someone. Delegating responsibility or a decision to another person.

A Group 2 (ichidan) transitive verb. Common patterns: AをBに任せる (entrust A to B), 任せてください (leave it to me), 成り行きに任せる (leave it to fate/let things take their course). Very common in workplace and daily life for delegating tasks or deferring to someone's judgement.

Examples

1. 料理の味付けは母に任せている。 I leave the seasoning of the food to my mom.
2. このプロジェクトは君に任せるよ。 I'm leaving this project to you.
3. 何を食べるかは彼女に任せた。 I left the decision of what to eat up to her.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, family, daily life

Tone: trusting

Origin & History

From 任 (nin, to entrust/appoint). The verb form まかせる has been used since classical Japanese. Related to the noun 任務 (ninmu, duty/mission).

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal