The Meaning of otozureru [訪れる] In Japanese

訪れる
おとずれる
Romaji: otozureru N4

What does 訪れる mean?

Translation and Meaning

to visit, to call on, to arrive at

Definition

訪れる means to go to a place or person, usually to meet or observe them, and can also describe arriving at a destination.

Type

verb (ichidan)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Visiting a person or place; calling on someone
  • Going to a place for a purpose (sightseeing, inquiry, inspection)
  • Arriving at or reaching a destination
  • Describing a travel narrative or event as a visit

Etymology

Derived from the kun’yomi verb form combined with the -eru conjugation; the modern reading otozureru arises from historical phonetic changes typical of -eru verbs.

Composition

  • 訪: core meaning to visit or call on; conveys approaching a person/place with intention; the verb ending -れる marks it as a verb form

Usage

Used in everyday speech and formal writing to describe visiting a person or place; commonly paired with を to mark the visited location, and conjugates across tenses; in formal contexts, 訪問する may be preferred.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: Imagine approaching a door and saying otozureru as you prepare to visit; the rhythm helps recall the act of going to see or reach a place.

Variations

  • 訪ねる (tazuneru) — to visit or call on, often a more personal or casual nuance
  • 訪問する (hōmon suru) — to visit in a formal, official sense
  • 来訪する (raihō suru) — to make a visit, often in formal announcements
  • 伺う (ukagau) — humble form used when the speaker visits someone

Example Phrases

  • 今朝 私 は 市場 を 訪れる 予定 だ。
    Kesa watashi wa ichiba o otozureru yotei da.
    This morning I plan to visit the market.
    Lista:
    • 今朝 (kesa) – this morning
    • 私 (watashi) – I
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 市場 (ichiba) – market
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 訪れる (otozureru) – to visit
    • 予定 (yotei) – plan
    • だ (da) – is
    訪れる means ‘to visit’ a place; here it is used with を to mark the target place, in 訪れる 予定だ to express a planned action. 「訪れる」
訪れる