閉める / 閉じる
 

Hi, I would like to know if both 閉める and 閉じる are interchangeable as "Close"?


ドアを閉める
ドアを閉じる

窓を閉める
窓を閉じる

封筒を閉める
封筒を閉じる

銀行の口座を閉める
銀行の口座を閉じる

As far as I know they're not 100% interchangeable. I could be wrong, but as to the first two I don't *think* I've heard them as anything other than 閉める, so ドアを閉める etc. There are a few examples where I think 閉じる is more appropriate right off the top of my head, like 本を閉じる and 目を閉じる. I admittedly don't have to much experience to say for certain how these two verbs differ, I just know that they're not 100% interchangeable all the time.

The short answer is negative.

You have already asked the same question regarding another pair of verbs but you will need to know that the only time when two verbs are completely interchageable is when you have a Yamato-kotoba verb and its counterpart Chinese loan word. Otherwise, don't even seek interchangeability.

閉める and 閉じる are both originally Japanese words; therefore, there will be no complete interchangeability.

The two verbs even have different antonyms.
開ける　＜＞　閉める
開く　＜＞　閉じる
In other words, you can only 閉める the things you can 開ける and you can only 閉じる the things you can 開く.
　
Once again, don't let the translated English words "open" and "close" fool you. The sooner you break the habit, the faster and more properly you will learn Japanese.

ドアを閉める
ドアを閉じる Both OK

窓を閉める
窓を閉じる Both OK

封筒を閉める 　straining
封筒を閉じる Better

銀行の口座を閉める barely OK
銀行の口座を閉じる Better and more natural
______

Other examples:

One can only say
本を閉じる
目を閉じる
幕を閉じる
心を閉じる

ネクタイを閉める
蛇口を閉める

Thanks duo797 san and masaegu san. I should have said similiar instead of interchangeable.

By the way, I don't quite understand "ネクタイを閉める" as it sounds like "close the tie" to me. Please do correct me if I am wrong.

I have a few more questions which I need help on as I couldn't find the examples I need for my better understanding of the usage.


1. お茶をたてる (make green tea) - I would like to know if I can also say "お茶をいれる" just like "コーヒーをいれる"


2. 煮る (cook, boil) - Is the usage something like "to boil water", "to cook rice/fish, etc.


3. 付ける as "to mark" - Is possible to omit 印 from the following sentences?

目印を付ける
mark the spot

書類の重要なポイントに印を付ける
mark highlights of a document


4. 出る as "participate, attend" - I would like to know when I say "サッカの試合に出る/参加する" how does someone know if I am referring to "I will attend (to watch) the soccer match" or "I will participate (be playing) in the soccer match?


5. 組み立てる (assemble) - I find that this verb is slightly similiar with "まとめる", or at least it sounds similiar. But again, I could be wrong.


6. 載せる (place on, load onto) - This is the verb that confused me the most for today. When I first looked at it, the first thing that came to my mind is that if it means "To place something on the table" and "To load something onto the truck"?

I thought I had just said:

You should trust your own ears more. If "close the tie" sounds strange to you, then it must be strange.

It means "to wear the tie (properly and tightly)". When you want to relax a little at work, you may loosen your tie around your neck a little, and then the reception desk calls you saying you have a visitor. You need to tighten your tie back to see him/her. This action is called ネクタイを閉める（ＯＲ　締める）.

You can but the meaning will change as well.
たてる = the thick and bitter powdered green tea used at the tea ceremony
入れる = regular leaf tea used on a daily basis

No, but it's a good question because we never 煮る rice or water.
ご飯を炊（た）く
お湯を沸（わ）かす
The only thing you can 煮る are soup dishes and stews.

No, it isn't.

サッカ　＞　サッカー

It can only mean "will play".

I see no similarity, really.

組み立てる = to assemble, to build
まとめる = to collect, to gather together in one place

This is an important verb. You have two of the three meanings covered.

The third meaning is to "to publish an article or to run an ad in a printed medium".

Thanks for reminding me this as I had learnt this before in class but I actually forgotten it (sighs). The same can be say for wearing a belt, if I remember correctly.

As for 出る and 参加する, do you mind elaborate a little more for my understanding? From what I know, it can be use for participating and attend, but I am still confuse about how are people going to distinguish if I am telling them if I will be participating or that I will just be attending some places. Some examples will be helpful on this one.

Another thing I wanna know is regarding 火にかける (put on the stove).

I would like to know if it is used this way:

フライパンを火にかける
Put the flying pan on the stove

Easier question first. Yes, that is correct. Pans and pots, you can 火にかける
.

サッカーの試合に出る/参加する
This is said by or about a player, not a spectator. No exceptions here.

A spectator will say:
サッカーの試合に行く
サッカーの試合を見に行く

Note 出る is used much more often than 参加する. In fact, you will confuse the listener if you used 参加する because nearly no one uses it in this context. If you want to use a Chinese loan word, use 出場する. You know all about the "word classes" between originally Japanese words and their Chinese loan word counterparts, don't you?

コンサートに出る = performer
コンサートに行く = audience

Nearly no one would say コンサートに参加する, but if someone did, the meaning would be highly ambiguous　as to performer vs. audience. That's why nearly no one would say it.

会議に出る/参加する = attend the meeting
Here, both are good because there is only one thing you can do with a meeting. Attend or not attend. This is different from a soccer match where there clearly are two sides to it (play or watch).

You are trying hard to find simple rules regarding word usage but it isn't always that simple. This isn't limited to Japanese. The other language always looks more complicated than your own.

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I have another question which is regarding "載せる" and "置く". I would like to know if the following sentences are correct?

リフトに箱を載せる
リフトに箱を置く

かばんをここに載せる
かばんをここに置く

かばんをテーブルの上に載せる
かばんをテーブルの上に置く

荷物カートにスーツケースを載せる
荷物カートにスーツケースを置く

Not sure why you are pairing those two verbs.

リフトに箱を載せる
リフトに箱を置く

This is what a Japanese-speaker thinks of when s/he hears the word リフト.



かばんをここに載せる Good but I wonder if you know what it means.
かばんをここに置く Good.

かばんをテーブルの上に載せる Straining. Can't imagine a situation where one would say this.
かばんをテーブルの上に置く Good.

荷物カートにスーツケースを載せる Good.
荷物カートにスーツケースを置く Good.

My mistake. I thought that リフト is equivalent to "Lift/Elevator".

As for "かばんをここに載せる", I thought that it means "Place/put one's bag here", to be honest. But most probably I am wrong judging by the hint you gave.

Could you kindly explain to me why "かばんをテーブルの上に載せる" is wrong?

That's what it means, which is why I said it was corrcet. But you can't 載せる an object just anywhere. I said "good" because your sentence just said "here", which is related to your next question.

Because if you 載せる something on another thing, you are saying that you will carry it to someplace. This is why I said I couldn't imagine a situation where you would say this, that is unless you want to move the table itself from point A to point B.

This is why it's natural to say you 載せる something in the truck or elevator. Do you see the logic here?

かばんをテーブルの上に載せる Both table and bag will be moved to another place some time later.
かばんをテーブルの上に置く Both will stay where they are now.

This is why the word ここ played a role in your first question as it can mean "in the truck".

Also, I am confuse by these sentences.



1. 書類の重要なポイントに印を付ける
mark highlights of a document


2. ×印を付ける
mark a cross


3. カレンダーにその日の覚えとして印を付ける
mark the date on the calendar


4. ペンで○や×を付ける
mark/draw circles and crosses with a pen



First of all, I would like to know why there isn't a need to include "に" before "印" for number 2 and 3?

Secondly, why was "に印" excluded from number 4?

I get it now. If I use "載せる" as put, then it must comes with movement.

I'll be honest. I don't get any of these questions.

2. Where do you place a に when there is only one noun （×印） in the phrase　and it's followed by a を??????

3. Don't you see the に there?

4. Show me a spot where you can put a に there when there is no word describing a place.

印 isn't necessary because the words ○ and × already include it. You can say ○印 and ｘ印 as well if you want to.

Yeah, I must admit that I am still not very good at particles. Take these sentences for example:


1. 先生に聞く
to ask the teacher


2. ドアに触る
to touch the door


3. 山に登る
to climb a mountain


4. 電車に間に合う
to be in time for train


5. 電車に遅れる
to be late for train


6. 忘れ物に気がつく
to become aware of the things that were left behind


7. 駅に着く
to arrive at the station



My question is that I would really like to know why number 1 to 6 use particle "に" instead of "を" and why number 7 use particle "に" instead of "で"?

This has been a problem for me so far, so I would be so grateful if you can enlighten me on this issue and the usage between "に" and "を".

I knew this was a problem for you, which is the reason I was wondering why you appeared so keen on learning new verbs everyday. You cannot use any verb correctly unless you have mastered the basic particles.

I'll give you a big hint rather than an answer here. I think that's far better for you in the long run.

To choose between を and に, always think Transitive vs. Intransitive. It won't disappoint you, that is unless you find the very study of transitive and intransitice disappointing for some reason. ;)

Regarding #7, you cannot use で. The only time you can say 駅で is when you describe an action to take place at the station.
駅でコーラを買った。
駅でマサエグに会った。
恋人と別れた、あの小さな駅で。

masaeguさん、本当にどうもありがとうございました。:)