招く

• Reading: まねく
• Romaji: maneku
• Kanji breakdown: 招 (shou/mane) — beckon, invite, summon
• Pronunciation: /ma.ne.kɯ/

Meaning

To invite; to beckon; to bring about. Calling someone over or causing a situation.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb with two key meanings. Physical: 客を招く (to invite guests), 手招きする (to beckon). Figurative: 誤解を招く (to cause a misunderstanding), 災いを招く (to bring about disaster). The famous beckoning cat 招き猫 (maneki neko) uses this verb.

Examples

1. 週末に友達を家に招いてパーティーをした。 I invited friends over and threw a party on the weekend.
2. 不注意な発言が誤解を招くことがある。 Careless remarks can lead to misunderstandings.
3. 結婚式に百人以上のゲストを招いた。 We invited over a hundred guests to the wedding.

Usage Guide

Context: hospitality, social events, consequences

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 招 combines 扌 (hand radical) and 召 (to summon), literally 'to summon with a hand gesture.' The famous 招き猫 (beckoning cat) originates from this meaning.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal