書き留める
かきとめる
verb (ichidan, transitive)
to write down; to note; to jot down
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 書き留める | 書き留めない |
| Present polite | 書き留めます | 書き留めません |
| Past | 書き留めた | 書き留めなかった |
| Past polite | 書き留めました | 書き留めませんでした |
| て form | 書き留めて | 書き留めなくて |
| ている present | 書き留めている | 書き留めていない |
| ている polite | 書き留めています | 書き留めていません |
| ている past | 書き留めていた | 書き留めていなかった |
| ている past polite | 書き留めていました | 書き留めていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 書き留めれば | 書き留めなければ |
| Conditional たら | 書き留めたら | 書き留めなかったら |
| Volitional | 書き留めよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 書き留めましょう | — |
| Potential | 書き留められる | 書き留められない |
| Passive | 書き留められる | 書き留められない |
| Causative | 書き留めさせる | 書き留めさせない |
| Imperative | 書き留めろ | 書き留めるな |
1.
to write down; to note; to jot down
To record something in writing so as not to forget it.
Transitivity: 他動詞 (transitive), with no intransitive pair. What gets written down is marked with を; where it is written goes with に.
Common patterns
- 〜を書き留める: write ~ down
- 手帳に書き留める: write it down in a planner
- 書き留めておく: write it down now so it is there later. This is the commonest shape of the verb, because the point of writing something down is almost always the later use.
Formation: 書く (write) + 留める (fasten, hold in place). The second half is what separates it from plain 書く: it is writing that pins information down so it will not be lost.
Watch out: the noun 書留, written with the same two characters but no okurigana, is registered mail. It is a different word, not a form of this verb.
Similar words
- メモする is the casual everyday equivalent, and what most people actually say.
- 記録する is to record systematically, for data or an official account, not for a personal reminder.
- 控える overlaps for jotting down numbers and details to keep on hand; it also has an unrelated sense of refraining.
Register: neutral but slightly careful and bookish. In casual speech メモする or 書いておく is more likely.