In the previous article we covered ～出す / ～込む, the opposite-direction pair. This time we look at another common duo: ～かける and ～つける. Both relate to "the state of an action" — one means "halfway done," the other means "attached firmly / done habitually."
～かける: Just Started / Halfway / Directed at Someone
When かける is used as a suffix verb, it carries three core meanings.
Meaning 1: Action Started but Not Completed
This is the most frequently tested usage. It describes an action that has begun but is not finished.
| Compound Verb | Reading | English | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 食べかける | たべかける | half-eaten | eat + halfway |
| 読みかける | よみかける | half-read | read + halfway |
| 飲みかける | のみかける | half-drunk | drink + halfway |
| 言いかける | いいかける | about to say (then stop) | say + halfway |
| 死にかける | しにかける | nearly die | die + almost |
食べかけのパンがテーブルにあった。 → There was a half-eaten piece of bread on the table.
何か言いかけて、やめた。 → I was about to say something, but stopped.
あの事故で死にかけた。 → I nearly died in that accident.
Notice 食べかけの — かける can become かけの to modify a noun, meaning "something that is half-done." 読みかけの本 (a half-read book), 飲みかけのコーヒー (a half-drunk coffee) are all very common.
Meaning 2: Action Directed at Someone
This usage is limited to a handful of words and means directing an action toward another person.
| Compound Verb | Reading | English | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 話しかける | はなしかける | speak to, approach someone | talk + toward |
| 呼びかける | よびかける | call out to, appeal to | call + toward |
| 働きかける | はたらきかける | exert influence on, lobby | work + toward |
知らない人に話しかけられた。 → A stranger spoke to me.
政府は国民に呼びかけた。 → The government appealed to the citizens.
話しかける is a core N3 word. Unlike 話す (to talk/speak in general), 話しかける emphasizes the act of "initiating conversation toward someone."
Meaning 3: 出かける (Special Case)
出かける (でかける) means "to go out, to head out." This word is fully lexicalized, so there is no need to analyze its parts — just memorize it as a unit.
ちょっと出かけてきます。 → I am heading out for a bit.
～つける: Attach / Habitual / Force Upon
When つける is used as a suffix verb, its core image is "attachment" — sticking something on, fastening it firmly.
Meaning 1: Actual Attachment or Fixing
| Compound Verb | Reading | English | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 名付ける | なづける | name, give a name | name + attach |
| 片付ける | かたづける | tidy up, put away | sort + fix in place |
| 近付く/近づく | ちかづく | approach, get close | close + attach |
娘に「さくら」と名付けた。 → I named my daughter "Sakura."
部屋を片付けなさい。 → Clean up your room.
片付ける is an extremely common everyday word. While it does not look like typical "attachment," the image is putting scattered things "back into their fixed positions."
Meaning 2: Forcing Upon Someone
This usage carries the nuance of "shoving something onto someone else."
| Compound Verb | Reading | English | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 押しつける | おしつける | force upon, push onto | push + attach |
| 決めつける | きめつける | jump to conclusions, label | decide + stick on |
| 言いつける | いいつける | tattle, order someone | say + attach |
自分の仕事を人に押しつけるな。 → Do not push your own work onto other people.
彼を犯人だと決めつけるのはよくない。 → It is not right to jump to the conclusion that he is the culprit.
先生に言いつけるよ！ → I am going to tell on you to the teacher!
決めつける has the nuance of "slapping a label on someone without listening to their side" — it appears frequently in reading comprehension on exams.
Meaning 3: Habitual Action
A few words use ～つける to mean "so accustomed to doing something that it has become second nature."
| Compound Verb | Reading | English | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 見つける | みつける | find, discover | see + lock on |
| 食べつける | たべつける | be used to eating | eat + accustomed |
やっと鍵を見つけた。 → I finally found the key.
見つける is an ultra-common word meaning "to find, to discover." You can think of it as "seeing and locking on." This word is highly lexicalized, so just memorize it directly.
～かける vs ～つける Comparison
| ～かける | ～つける | |
|---|---|---|
| Core image | Halfway, directed at | Attachment, fixation |
| Common meanings | Half-done / toward someone | Stick on / force / habitual |
| Nuance | Incomplete, in-between | Firm, forceful, stuck |
| Typical words | 食べかける, 話しかける | 片付ける, 押しつける |
In one sentence: かける means it is not done yet; つける means it is firmly stuck on.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using 話しかける as if it were just 話す
- 話す = to talk, to tell (general usage)
- 話しかける = to initiate conversation with someone, to approach someone
先生に質問を話した ← unnatural 先生に質問した / 先生に聞いた ← natural
知らない人に話しかけるのは勇気がいる。 ← correct → It takes courage to approach a stranger and start talking.
Mistake 2: Using 食べかけ to mean "finished eating"
食べかけ does not mean "finished eating" — it means "half-eaten." For "finished eating," use 食べ終わった or 食べきった.
このりんごは食べかけだ。 → This apple is half-eaten. このりんごは食べ終わった。 → This apple has been eaten up.
Wrap-Up
- ～かける is about "halfway" and "directed at": half-done (食べかける), toward someone (話しかける)
- ～つける is about "attachment" and "force": stick on (名付ける), force upon (押しつける), discover (見つける)
- 食べかけの + noun means "a half-done something" — a frequently tested attributive pattern
- 決めつける (jump to conclusions) and 押しつける (force upon) carry negative nuance
- 片付ける (tidy up) and 見つける (find) are daily essentials — best memorized directly
Practice
Q1. How do you say "There was a half-drunk coffee on the table" in Japanese?
Answer
テーブルに飲みかけのコーヒーがあった。
飲みかけの = half-drunk. かける becomes かけの to modify a noun as an attributive.
Q2. Fill in the blank: 「自分の仕事を人に＿＿＿な」 — Do not force your own work onto others. Combine 押す + つける.
Answer
自分の仕事を人に押しつけるな。
The conjunctive form of 押す is 押し. Adding つける expresses "to force upon." The な at the end is the prohibitive form.
Q3. What is the difference between 話しかける and 話す?
Answer
話す means to speak or tell in a general sense, while 話しかける emphasizes "initiating conversation toward someone," carrying a directional nuance. For example, 「知らない人に話しかける」 (to approach a stranger and start talking) — using 話す would not convey the sense of "actively reaching out."