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

Example sentences

彼は毎日の勉強を通じて、専門的な知識を身につけた
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.

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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