LESSON NOTES · レッスンノート

N5Lesson notes · Oct 6, 2026

Put in Japanese: 置おく (oku), 入いれる (ireru) and the verbs English hides inside "put

There is no single Japanese word for "put": you pick the verb by where the thing ends up — 置おく (oku) for a surface, 入いれる (ireru) for the inside of something, and a different verb again for clothes, stickers, names and lights.

English lets one tiny word do all of that work. Put the book down, put sugar in your tea, put your shoes on, put your name here, put the lights on — five different actions, one verb. Japanese splits them, and the learners who stumble are almost always the ones who learned "put = 置おく" on day one and kept using it for everything.

The basics

Is 置おく the Japanese word for "put"?

Only for one of its meanings. 置おく means to set something down in a place and leave it there, usually on a surface. It is the closest match to "put it on the table," and the pattern is 〜に〜を置おく: the place gets に, the thing gets を.

机つくえの上うえに本ほんを置おいてください。 — Please put the book on the desk. (polite request, the standard 置おく pattern) ここにかばんを置おいてもいいですか。 — May I put my bag here? (polite, asking permission)

Notice what 置おく does not cover: putting something inside a container. That belongs to a different verb.

What is the difference between 置おく and 入いれる?

置おく is for a surface, 入いれる is for the inside. Ask yourself one question: after the action, is the thing on something or in something? Surface means 置おく. Inside means 入いれる. The pattern for 入いれる is the same shape, 〜に〜を入いれる.

コーヒーに砂糖さとうを入いれる。 — I put sugar in my coffee. (plain form, everyday habit) 財布さいふをかばんに入いれた。 — I put my wallet in my bag. (past tense, casual narration)

This is the single most useful split in the whole topic. English "put sugar in" is 砂糖さとうを入いれる, and 砂糖さとうを置おく is not a thing a Japanese speaker would say about tea. Sugar can only be 置おく'd if you are literally setting the sugar bowl down on the table.

Which particles go with these verbs?

For both verbs, に marks the destination and を marks the thing you move. This is the same split you meet everywhere in Japanese, and it is why mixing up に and を is the second classic error here. If you want a refresher on how Japanese marks roles rather than word order, the は vs が guide is the best companion read.

棚たなに箱はこを置おく。 — I put the box on the shelf. (plain form) 箱はこに本ほんを入いれる。 — I put a book in the box. (plain form, box is the destination)

Look at that second sentence again. The box is now the destination, so it takes に. A book moved into it, so the book takes を. Swap them and you get 本ほんに箱はこを入いれる, which says you put a box into a book.

Beyond the basics

What do you say for "put on" clothes, lights and accessories?

Here English "put on" turns into a handful of unrelated verbs, and the choice depends on the thing, not the action.

  • Clothes on your body: 着きる (shirts, coats, dresses), 履はく (shoes, socks, trousers, skirts), かぶる (hats)
  • Accessories: つける (earrings, a necklace, a watch), or 掛かける for glasses
  • Lights and devices: つける (turn on), as in 電気でんきをつける

コートを着きてください。 — Please put your coat on. (polite request) 靴くつを履はいて、外そとに出でた。 — I put my shoes on and went outside. (narration, te-form linking two actions) 暗くらいから、電気でんきをつけて。 — It's dark, so put the light on. (casual request)

The key twist: all of these verbs describe the act of putting on, and the same verb in the 〜ている form describes the state of wearing. 着きる is "put on" and 着きている is "be wearing." The clothes in Japanese guide goes through this clothing set in full, so use it when you want to sort out 着きる, 履はく and かぶる properly.

The particle also changes. Clothes verbs take only を — you do not say 体からだにコートを着きる. The body is not a destination here; the verb already knows where it goes.

What about putting things away?

Two verbs do this, and they are not interchangeable.

しまう means to put something away where it belongs and out of sight: a drawer, a closet, a pocket. 片付かたづける means to tidy up — to clear a whole mess so the room is orderly again. Think of しまう as one object going home, and 片付かたづける as the whole scene being restored.

財布さいふを引き出ひきだしにしまった。 — I put my wallet away in the drawer. (past tense, one item to its place) 部屋へやを片付かたづけなさい。 — Tidy up your room. (a parent's command, firm)

Anime parents and teachers say 片付かたづけなさい constantly, usually to a character who is about to be late for something. The ending なさい is a firm instruction, not a request, so you will hear it from people with authority over the listener, rarely between friends.

What about stickers, signatures and postage?

貼はる means to stick or paste something flat onto a surface, so 切手きってを貼はる is "put a stamp on" and ステッカーを貼はる is "put a sticker on." And when English says "put your name here," Japanese just says write: 名前なまえを書かく.

封筒ふうとうに切手きってを貼はった。 — I put a stamp on the envelope. (past tense) ここに名前なまえを書かいてください。 — Please put your name here. (polite, form-filling)

That last sentence is one you will hear at hotels, clinics and city offices in real life.

How do you say "put" for putting something on top or into a vehicle?

載のせる (のせる) puts something on top of another thing, often something that can bear it, and 乗のせる (のせる, same sound) puts a person or load into a vehicle, so it can ride. Same pronunciation, different kanji, different object.

荷物にもつを棚たなに載のせた。 — I put the luggage on the rack. (past tense, placing on top) 子こどもを車くるまに乗のせる。 — I put the child in the car. (plain form, causing someone to ride)

For spoken Japanese the sound is identical, so you rely on the object: if it is a person or something travelling, it is the riding のせる.

How do "put off" and "put up with" work?

Two English phrasal verbs, two borrowed Japanese ideas rather than direct equivalents.

  • Put off (postpone): 延のばす (to extend) or 延期えんきする (to postpone formally), as in 会議かいぎを来週らいしゅうに延期えんきする
  • Put up with (tolerate): 我慢がまんする

会議かいぎを来週らいしゅうに延期えんきした。 — We put the meeting off until next week. (past tense, formal workplace phrasing) この暑あつさは我慢がまんできない。 — I can't put up with this heat. (plain form, can't tolerate)

Do not try to translate "put off" word by word. If you are postponing a plan, the verb is about time moving, not about putting anything anywhere.

How does this sound in anime?

Short, spoken, and with a lot of contraction. The ておく pattern shows up constantly with 置おく and 入いれる, because "do it and leave it" is the natural shape of a casual instruction. The 〜ておく guide covers that pattern in depth, and below is the quick preview.

そこに置おいといて。 — Just leave it there. (置おいておいて shortened, casual request) これ、冷蔵庫れいぞうこに入いれとく? — Shall I put this in the fridge? (入いれておく shortened, casual offer) ここに名前なまえ書かいて。 — Put your name here. (casual request, particle を dropped)

Notice what disappeared: the particles を and に are often dropped in fast speech, and the ておく form contracts to とく. If you only ever studied the textbook forms, these sentences sound like a different language.

Is 置おく the same as 〜ておく?

Close in shape, different in job. 置おく as a main verb means to set something down: 本ほんを置おく. 〜ておく as a grammar pattern is a helper that means to do something in advance or leave something in that state: 本ほんを買かっておく means "I'll buy the book ahead of time." The two meet when you say 置おいておく, which literally means to "set down and leave it that way." Hearing the same sound twice in a row is normal, and it is a good reason to learn the contraction 置おいとく early.

Common mistakes

  • Using 置おく for everything. The most common error: 砂糖さとうを置おく for "put in sugar." If the thing goes into a container, use 入いれる.
  • Swapping に and を. 机つくえを本ほんに置おく says you set a desk on a book. Remember: に for where it lands, を for what moves. The pattern to drill is 場所ばしょに + 物ものを + verb.
  • Saying つける for every "put on." つける covers lights and accessories, but not clothes. 服ふくをつける sounds like you are attaching a garment to something rather than dressing. Use 着きる, 履はく or かぶる for clothing.
  • Forgetting that the clothes verbs describe the act, not the state. If someone asks what you have on, the answer is 着きている or 履はいている, not 着きる.
  • Translating "put off" word for word. You cannot build 延期えんき from 置おく. Learn 延のばす and 延期えんきする as their own items.
  • Giving 乗のせる when you meant 載のせる. Putting a bag on a rack is 載のせる; putting a person in a car is 乗のせる. The sound is the same, the kanji and the object are not.

How English "put" maps to Japanese

English "put…" Japanese verb Pattern Example
put on a surface 置おく 場所ばしょに + 物ものを置おく 机つくえに本ほんを置おく
put inside 入いれる 容器ようきに + 物ものを入いれる かばんに財布さいふを入いれる
put on (lights, accessories) つける 物ものをつける 電気でんきをつける
put on (clothes, torso) 着きる 物ものを着きる コートを着きる
put on (shoes, trousers) 履はく 物ものを履はく 靴くつを履はく
put on (hat) かぶる 物ものをかぶる 帽子ぼうしをかぶる
put away しまう 場所ばしょに + 物ものをしまう 引き出ひきだしにしまう
put things away, tidy up 片付かたづける 場所ばしょを片付かたづける 部屋へやを片付かたづける
put on top 載のせる 場所ばしょに + 物ものを載のせる 棚たなに荷物にもつを載のせる
put in a vehicle 乗のせる 乗り物のりものに + 人ひとを乗のせる 車くるまに子こどもを乗のせる
put a sticker or stamp 貼はる 場所ばしょに + 物ものを貼はる 封筒ふうとうに切手きってを貼はる
put your name here 書かく 物ものを書かく 名前なまえを書かく
put off, postpone 延のばす・延期えんきする 物ものを延期えんきする 会議かいぎを延期えんきする
put up with 我慢がまんする 物ものを我慢がまんする 暑あつさを我慢がまんする

Practice

Build each answer before opening it. Questions 1 and 2 are a pair — the same sentence shape, but a surface in one and an inside in the other. Questions 5 and 6 are another pair: the same Japanese skeleton with two meanings of "put on."

1. Say "Please put the book on the desk."

Show answer

机つくえの上うえに本ほんを置おいてください — the book ends up on a surface, so 置おく. 机つくえの上うえ is the place (に), 本ほん is the thing (を).

2. Say "Please put the book in the box."

Show answer

箱はこに本ほんを入いれてください — the book goes inside, so 入いれる. This is the pair to question 1: surface 置おく, inside 入いれる.

3. What is wrong with 砂糖さとうを置おく as a way to say "put sugar in my tea"?

Show answer

お茶ちゃに砂糖さとうを入いれる is correct. 置おく means to set something down on a surface; sugar going into a drink is going inside, so you need 入いれる.

4. What is wrong with 机つくえを本ほんに置おく if you mean "put the book on the desk"?

Show answer

机つくえに本ほんを置おく — に marks where it lands (the desk) and を marks the thing that moves (the book). The wrong version swaps them and says you put a desk onto a book.

5. Say "Please put your coat on."

Show answer

コートを着きてください — clothes on the torso take 着きる, and the coat takes を. There is no に for the body.

6. Say "Please put the light on."

Show answer

電気でんきをつけてください — lights and switches take つける. The English "put on" is the same in questions 5 and 6, but the Japanese verb changes with the object.

7. Which verb do you need for "put your shoes on": 着きる, 履はく, or かぶる?

Show answer

履はく — shoes, socks and trousers go on the lower body and take 履はく. 着きる is for the torso, and かぶる is for hats.

8. Say "Please put your name here."

Show answer

ここに名前なまえを書かいてください — Japanese does not "put" a name, it writes it. 書かく is the natural verb here.

9. What is the difference between しまう and 片付かたづける?

Show answer

しまう puts one thing away where it belongs; 片付かたづける tidies up a whole mess. 財布さいふを引き出ひきだしにしまう versus 部屋へやを片付かたづける.

10. Say "I can't put up with this heat."

Show answer

この暑あつさは我慢がまんできない — "put up with" is 我慢がまんする, so the potential form 我慢がまんできない means "I can't stand it." There is no place or container here, so 置おく and 入いれる are both wrong.

In a 30-minute trial lesson, say where you 置おく your keys and 入いれる your phone, and which verb goes with a hat and with shoes, かぶる and 履はく.

FAQ

Is 置おく always "put"? No. 置おく is only the "put something on a surface" meaning. It also covers "leave behind" (置おき忘わすれる, to forget and leave something somewhere) and the helper in 〜ておく, but it does not cover putting things inside, putting clothes on, or putting off a plan.

Can 入いれる ever mean something other than "put in"? Yes. It also means to let someone in, to include someone, and to add an ingredient. 友達ともだちを入いれる means to let a friend in, and コーヒーを入いれる can mean making coffee. The core idea is always "bring something to the inside of something."

Should I use 置おく or 入いれる for a pocket? Use 入いれる. A pocket is a container, so ポケットに手てを入いれる is "put a hand in your pocket." If you hold something in your hand and set it on a table, that is 置おく.

What is the difference between 着きる and つける? 着きる is for clothing and takes the clothes you wear on your body: coats, shirts, dresses. つける is the broad "attach or turn on" verb: lights, accessories, safety belts. Clothing needs its own verb, and the clothes in Japanese guide shows the full set.

Why do the sentences in anime drop を and に? Casual speech trims particles when context makes the roles obvious. そこ置おいといて and 名前なまえ書かいて are normal. In writing, or in polite speech, keep the particles. Learning to put them back is a useful exercise, and the idea behind it is the same one explained in the transitive and intransitive verbs guide: 置おく and 入いれる are transitive verbs that need an object marked by を.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab, and the two columns land in Front / Back.

置く	おく — to put, to set down (on a surface)
入れる	いれる — to put in, to insert
つける	つける — to put on (light, accessory), to attach
着る	きる — to put on, to wear (torso clothes)
履く	はく — to put on, to wear (shoes, trousers)
かぶる	かぶる — to put on (a hat)
しまう	しまう — to put away
片付ける	かたづける — to tidy up, to put in order
載せる	のせる — to put on top
乗せる	のせる — to put in a vehicle, to give a ride
貼る	はる — to stick, to put on (a stamp, a sticker)
書く	かく — to write
延期する	えんきする — to postpone, to put off
我慢する	がまんする — to put up with, to endure
砂糖	さとう — sugar
電気	でんき — electric light, electricity
名前	なまえ — name
引き出し	ひきだし — drawer

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, which comes up in nearly every beginner's first few lessons. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

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