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Japanese

ける

ぼける
Meaning: to become mentally dull; to grow senile; to play the fool
Part of Speech: Verb

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Verb inflections

Verb inflections
Form Affirmative Negative
Present 惚ける 惚けない
Polite 惚けます 惚けません
Past 惚けた 惚けなかった
Polite + Past 惚けました 惚けませんでした
Te-form 惚けて 惚けなくて
Potential 惚けられる 惚けられない
Passive 惚けられる 惚けられない
Causative 惚けさせる 惚けさせない
Imperative 惚けろ 惚けるな

Example

年を取っても、頭が惚けるとは限らない。
Growing older does not necessarily make a person’s mind dull.

Usage Notes

The mental-decline sense can sound blunt or disrespectful when applied directly to a person. The word is also used for deliberately acting foolish in comedy, and a related spelling can describe an image or outline becoming blurred.

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