敢えて
Meaning in Englishdare (to do), venture (to do), challenge (to do)
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
To dare to do something, to venture to do something, or to act deliberately in the face of risk or opposition, emphasizing intentional boldness and resolve in an action or statement.
Main meanings
- bold, deliberate action or statement that goes against expectations
- deliberate introduction of a contrasting or surprising point
- formal usage to emphasize resolve in challenging situations
How to use it
Used before verbs or clauses to express deliberate boldness, often in formal or written contexts; typically appears in phrases such as 敢えて挑む and 敢えて言う, spanning both contemplative writing and spoken discourse.
Variants and close terms
- あえて (aete) — synonym
- わざと (wazato) — synonym with nuance of intention
- ためらう (tamerau) — antonym, hesitation
Composition
- 敢 – a kanji meaning bold or daring
- えて – the te-form suffix that links to the following action
Etymology
Phonetic evolution The form comes from the verb 敢える with the te-form suffix て creating the adverbial 敢えて, preserving the root meaning of boldness while attaching to following actions or clauses.
Origin
Origin: attested in classical and modern Japanese, the construction emerges in literary and everyday language as a means to express deliberate boldness before a verb or clause.
Word class
adverb (副詞)