How to say 'Lose' or 'Hesitate' in Japanese | 迷う

Wondering how to say 'Lose' or 'Hesitate' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Lose or Hesitate is 'Mayou', written as 迷う in Japanese.'Lose' or 'Hesitate' in hiragana is まよう.

word

迷う

Meaning

Lose, Hesitate

Reading

まよう

mayou

Kanji

迷Perplexed, Astray

Explanation

The Japanese verb '迷う (まよう)' has two primary meanings. The first is 'to lose one's way' or 'to get lost', often used in the context of physical navigation. For example: I got lost in the city「街で迷った」(まちでまよった). The second meaning is 'to hesitate' or 'to be uncertain', used when someone is indecisive or unsure about a decision. For example: She hesitated to answer「彼女は答えるのに迷った」(かのじょはこたえるのにまよった). This verb can also be used metaphorically to describe being lost in thought or confused about a situation. For example: He was lost in thought「彼は考えに迷っていた」(かれはかんがえにまよっていた).

Part Of Speech

verb

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

2423

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting

This word is a godan verb. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 迷う

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

迷

Meaning

Perplexed, Astray

Hiragana in the Word 迷う

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

hiragana

う

Reading

Words Related to 迷う Through the Kanji 迷

These 3 Words contain the Kanji 迷 as well.

word

迷惑

Meaning

Trouble

word

迷信

Meaning

Superstition

word

迷子

Meaning

Lost child

Learn the Word 迷う

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What does 'Mayou' (迷う) mean?

'Mayou' means 'Lose' or 'Hesitate' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.