Word
行う
Meaning in Englishcarry out, conduct, perform
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
行う denotes the deliberate execution of an action or plan; it covers performing tasks, conducting ceremonies, and implementing policies, typically in formal or neutral contexts.
Main meanings
- to perform an action or task
- to conduct or host an event, ceremony, or meeting
- to implement or enact a plan, policy, or procedure
- to undertake something in a formal or ceremonial sense
How to use it
Used with を to mark the direct object: 計画を行う, 会議を行う, 式を行う; common in formal writing and media; in casual speech, 実施する or する is often preferred
Variants and close terms
- 実施する (jisshi suru) – to implement or carry out
- 執り行う (toriokonau) – to conduct a formal ceremony
- 行なう (okonau) – variant spelling
- 遂行する (suikō suru) – to fulfill, carry through
- 中止する (ちゅうし する) – antonym: to discontinue
Composition
- 行: core meaning relates to action, conduct, or going; the combination with う yields the verb sense of performing an action
Etymology
行 + ふ (old kana) formed a native verb; phonetic evolution moved from the classical form okonau (written as 行ふ) to the modern reading okonau with the kana ending う
Origin
Earliest attestations appear in classical Japanese texts; usage expanded across periods, becoming common in modern Japanese for actions ranging from planned tasks to public ceremonies
Word class
Verb (動詞) (transitive)
Related words by kanji and components
N3
流行
ryuukou
trend, fashion, fad
N3
刊行
kankou
publication, issue, release
N3
慣行
kankou
customary practice, convention
N3
決行
kekkou
carrying out with resolve, execution
N3
通行
tsuukou
passage, traffic, circulation
N3
発行
hakkou
issue (publications)
N3
流行る
hayaru
to be popular, to come into fashion
N3
飛行
hikou
aviation, flight
N3
進行
shinkou
advance