訪ねる

• Reading: たずねる
• Romaji: tazuneru
• Kanji breakdown: 訪 (hou/tazu) — visit, call on
• Pronunciation: /ta.zɯ.ne.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To visit; to call on someone. The act of going to see a person at their home or workplace.

A Group 2 (ichidan) transitive verb. Written with 訪 to distinguish from 尋ねる (tazuneru, to ask/inquire), which uses a different kanji. 訪ねる focuses on visiting people, while 訪れる (otozureru) is more literary and can also mean visiting places. Common in social and business contexts.

Examples

1. 先週、京都に住んでいる友達を訪ねました。 Last week, I visited a friend living in Kyoto.
2. 入院している祖母を訪ねに行きます。 I'm going to visit my grandmother in the hospital.
3. 日本に来たら、ぜひ私を訪ねてください。 If you come to Japan, please come visit me.

Usage Guide

Context: social life, travel, business

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 訪 combines 言 (speech/words) with 方 (direction/person). Depicts going toward someone to speak with them — paying a visit.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal