Word
換える
Meaning in Englishexchange, convert, replace
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
換える (kaeru) means to substitute one thing for another: an intentional, usually physical or functional action of giving or putting something in place of something else.
Main meanings
- Exchange of currency or conversion between units, formats, or systems (e.g., money, data formats).
- Substitution of parts, ingredients, or components when one item is removed and another takes its place.
- Swapping roles, positions, or items between people or locations.
- Renewal or replacement of consumable goods (e.g., batteries, tickets) with fresh equivalents.
How to use it
Used across everyday, technical, and business contexts to indicate a transitive action; grammatically it commonly follows the pattern XをYに換える where an object X is changed into Y, and appears in polite speech with standard -masu endings; common in sentences about money exchange, replacing parts, converting formats, or swapping items, and is appropriate in both casual and formal registers depending on surrounding language.
Variants and close terms
- 変える (kaeru) — to alter or change (often abstract).
- 替える (kaeru) — to replace or substitute (emphasis on swapping).
- 交換する (koukan suru) — to exchange or trade (suru-verb, mutual exchange).
- 入れ替える (irekaeru) — to swap/replace by putting one thing in and taking another out.
- 取り換える (torikaeru) — to exchange or replace, often used for parts or equipment.
- Antonym: 維持する (iji suru) — to maintain or keep as is.
Composition
- 換 (kan/kaeru) — composed of the hand radical 扌 suggesting manual action and the phonetic/semantic component indicating exchange; together the character carries the sense of handing over or swapping; the okurigana える turns the kanji into the verb form.
Word class
verb (transitive, ichidan/ru-verb; 他動詞・一段動詞)