The Meaning of uketomeru [受け止める] In Japanese

受け止める
うけとめる
Romaji: uketomeru N3

What does 受け止める mean?

Translation and Meaning

to catch, to receive, to stop/hold; to accept or acknowledge; to take in (information or impact)

Definition

What does 受け止める mean? It means to receive and hold something, either physically or mentally, and to respond by accepting or processing it.

Type

Verb (一段動詞, transitive)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Physical catching or taking in something thrown at you, such as a ball
  • Accepting or acknowledging information, feedback, or a situation
  • Enduring or bearing an impact or difficulty
  • Mentally taking in and considering something to respond appropriately

Etymology

etimologia From 受け (uke, to receive) combined with 止める (tomeru, to stop/hold). The compound forms a single verb through standard phonetic evolution in Japanese, with the stem conveying receiving and the suffix indicating stopping/holding the received thing.

Composition

  • 受け: the kanji 受 meaning to receive/accept; the following け completes the stem
  • 止める: the kanji 止 meaning to stop/hold; める plus る forms the verb ending, together giving the sense of stopping/holding what is received

Usage

Predominantly transitive and usable in both casual and formal contexts. Common phrases include 現実を受け止める, 事実を受け止める, and 批判を受け止める, as well as ボールを受け止める for physical actions; used with nouns describing reality, information, or impact to indicate acceptance, comprehension, or resilience.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine catching a thrown ball and bringing it to your chest to stop its momentum—receive (受け) and stop/hold (止める) in one motion, which cues the meaning of the verb.

Variations

  • 受け入れる (uke-ireru) — to accept/embrace (romaji: ukeireru)
  • 理解する (rikai suru) — to understand/acknowledge (romaji: rikai suru)
  • 捕らえる (toraeru) — to seize/catch (romaji: toraeru)
  • 拒否する (kyohi suru) — to refuse (romaji: kyohi suru)

Example Phrases

  • 上司の指摘を受け止めるのは大切だ。
    joushi no shiteki o uketomeru no wa taisetsu da.
    It’s important to take your boss’s remarks to heart.
    Lista:
    • 上司 (joushi) – boss
    • の (no) – of
    • 指摘 (shiteki) – remark
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 受け止める (uketomeru) – take/accept (a remark)
    • の (no) – of
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 大切だ (taisetsu da) – is important
    Here, 「受け止める」 means to accept and deal with something, as in 指摘を受け止める.
受け止める