……
Breakdown of oku
put
置
You are put into the net of honesty.
Usages of oku
玄関 の 前 に 新しい 花瓶 を 置きました。genkan no mae ni atarasii kabin wo okimasita.
I placed a new vase in front of the entrance.
靴 は 玄関 に 置いて ください。kutu ha genkan ni oite kudasai.
Please leave your shoes at the entrance.
玄関 に 新しい マット を 置いた。genkan ni atarasii matto wo oita.
I placed a new mat at the entrance.
彼女 は コーヒーカップ を 棚 に 置いた。kanozyo ha koohiikappu wo tana ni oita.
She put the coffee cup on the shelf.
本 を 本棚 に 置くの を 忘れないで。hon wo hondana ni okuno wo wasurenaide.
Don't forget to put the book on the bookshelf.
ベッド の 横 に は 机 が 置いて ある。beddo no yoko ni ha tukue ga oite aru.
A desk has been put beside the bed (by someone).
窓辺 に 花瓶 を 置きました。madobe ni kabin wo okimasita.
I placed a vase by the window.
Test yourself: What does oku mean?
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning JapaneseMaster Japanese — from oku to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions