Translation and Meaning of: 照らす - terasu

Explanation and Etymology - (照らす) terasu

照らす It is a Japanese word that can be written with the kanjis 照 and す. The first kanji, 照, means "illuminating" or "shine" while the second, す, is an auxiliary verb that indicates the action of doing something. Therefore, it can be translated as "illuminating something" or "making something shine". The word 照らす is formed by the combination of the kanjis mentioned above, and their etymology dates back to the Heian period (794-1185), when Japanese writing began to be developed. At that time the word was written with the Kanjis 照 and らす, which were read as "Terasu". Over time, the pronunciation of the word changed to "Terasu", and Kanji ら was replaced by Kanji す, which is most common in current Japanese writing. Nowadays, it is a very common word in the Japanese language and can be used in a variety of contexts. For example, it can be used to describe the action of illuminating a room with a lamp, or to describe the action of making something shine with polishing. In addition, the word can also be used figuratively to describe the action of clarifying or making something clearer.