JLPT N1 · Verb

構える (kamaeru)

構える (かまえる, kamaeru) is a Japanese verb meaning “to set up (a house, store, etc.); to build”. It appears in JLPT N1 vocabulary lists and is marked as a common word in JMdict.

Reading: かまえる
Romaji: kamaeru
Word class: Ichidan verb (る-verb)
Level: JLPT N1 (unofficial)

Meaning

to set up (a house, store, etc.); to build; to establish; to run; to maintain · ichidan verb, transitive
to have at the ready (e.g. a gun); to hold in preparation (e.g. a camera); to prepare in advance (e.g. a meal) · ichidan verb, transitive
to adopt a posture; to assume a stance; to stand ready; to be poised for · ichidan verb, transitive
to put on an air; to assume an attitude · ichidan verb, intransitive
to stiffen; to tense up; to become formal · ichidan verb, intransitive

Example sentences

彼はジャマイカに住居を構えた。

He took up residence in Jamaica.

Tatoeba #113531

Sentences from the Tatoeba project, linked to this word in JMdict.

Conjugation of 構える

Ichidan verb (る-verb). Plain and polite forms below; try any other word in the Japanese verb conjugator.

Form	Japanese	Reading
Dictionary	構える	かまえる kamaeru
Polite (~masu)	構えます	かまえます kamaemasu
Negative	構えない	かまえない kamaenai
Polite negative	構えません	かまえません kamaemasen
Past	構えた	かまえた kamaeta
Polite past	構えました	かまえました kamaemashita
Negative past	構えなかった	かまえなかった kamaenakatta
Te-form	構えて	かまえて kamaete
Potential	構えられる	かまえられる kamaerareru
Passive	構えられる	かまえられる kamaerareru
Causative	構えさせる	かまえさせる kamaesaseru
Volitional	構えよう	かまえよう kamaeyou
Imperative	構えろ	かまえろ kamaero
Conditional (~ba)	構えれば	かまえれば kamaereba

Kanji in 構える

構

posture, stance, appearanceコウ・かま.える・かま.う · 14 strokes

Related words

Other vocabulary sharing a kanji with 構える.

結構けっこうsplendid構成こうせいcomposition機構きこうmechanism構造こうぞうstructure構いませんかまいませんno problem構想こうそうplan

Source: JMdict entry 1279700 (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0). Level: unofficial JLPT list – how levels are assigned.