Japanese

につける

みにつける
Meaning: to acquire (knowledge, skill); to wear (clothes, accessories)
Part of Speech: Verb

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Verb inflections

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

Handwriting

身
に
つ
け
る

Example sentences

He acquired specialized knowledge through daily study.
本を読んで新しい知識を身につけるのは楽しい。
It is fun to read books and acquire new knowledge.
彼女は胸元で輝くネックレスを身につけていた。
She was wearing a necklace that sparkled at her chest.
彼女は二連の真珠のネックレスを身につけている。
She is wearing a two-strand pearl necklace.
健康的な生活習慣を身につけることが望ましい。
It is desirable to acquire healthy lifestyle habits.
彼女はきれいなアクセサリーを身につけている。
She is wearing a beautiful accessory.
彼は長年かけて特殊な技能を身につけた。
He spent many years acquiring specialized skills.
彼女は美しい真珠のネックレスを身につけていた。
She was wearing a beautiful pearl necklace.
実生活で役立つ知識を身につけたい。
I want to acquire knowledge that is useful in real life.
昔の農民は、雨の日には簑笠を身につけて農作業をした。
In the past, farmers wore a straw raincoat and hat while doing agricultural work on rainy days.

Usage Notes

Used for both learning/mastering skills and physically wearing items. '身に付ける' is common for skills, while '身に着ける' is often used for clothing.

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