音読み: トウ
訓読み: こたえる・こたえ
画数: 12
部首: ⺮（たけかんむり）
Meaning
To answer / To reply / Response
- Basic forms
- 答える — to answer, to reply / base form
- 答えます — polite / I answer / masu form
- 答えた — past / answered / ta form
- 答えて — te-form / answer (and…) / linking or request
- 答えない — negative / don’t answer / negative form
- 答えれば — if (I) answer / conditional
- 答えろ・答えよ — answer! / imperative
- Other common forms
- 答えたい — want to answer / 〜たい form
- 答えられる — can answer / be answered / potential / passive
- 答えられた — was answered / could answer (past)
- 答えられない — can’t answer / cannot be answered
- More
- 答えよう — let’s answer / 〜よう form
- 答えなかった — didn’t answer / negative past
- 答えている — answering / have answered / progressive
答える (こたえる) is an ichidan (る-verb). Drop る and add endings like ます, た, て, ない. It means “to answer,” “to reply,” or “to respond.” Common expressions include 質問に答える (to answer a question) and アンケートに答える (to respond to a survey).
- 答える — to answer
- 回答 — reply / response
- 解答 — solution (to a question)
- 応答 — reply / response
- 答案 — answer / examination paper
- 返答 — reply / answer
- 即答 — immediate reply
- 贈答品 — gift item
The top radical ⺮ represents bamboo — once used to make writing materials. The lower part 合 implies a coming together. The character originally referred to a formal reply or response, especially one written on bamboo slips.
先生の質問に答えました。
I answered the teacher’s question.
その問題の答えが分かりません。
I don’t know the answer to that question.
答案 — answer / examination paper