1.
to cover, to put over, to place on top
To place something over or on top of something else so as to cover it.
鍋にふたを被せる。
Put a lid on the pot.
寝ている子に毛布を被せた。
I put a blanket over the sleeping child.
ケーキにチョコレートを被せて仕上げた。
I finished the cake by coating it with chocolate.
2.
to put (a hat, etc.) on someone; to make someone wear
To place a hat, hood, or similar item on someone else's head.
子供に帽子を被せた。
I put a hat on the child.
赤ちゃんにフードを被せてから外に出た。
I put the hood on the baby before going outside.
犬にサンタの帽子を被せて写真を撮った。
I put a Santa hat on the dog and took a photo.
3.
to shift (blame) onto someone
To make someone else bear the responsibility or blame for something.
責任を人に被せるな。
Don't shift the blame onto others.
自分の失敗を部下に被せた。
He shifted his own failure onto his subordinate.
罪を被せられて、無実なのに逮捕された。
He was framed with the crime and arrested despite being innocent.
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: 他動詞 (transitive)
- Pair: 被る (intransitive, to wear/to be covered)
COMMON PATTERNS:
- ふたを被せる: to put a lid on
- 毛布を被せる: to put a blanket over
- 帽子を被せる: to put a hat on (someone)
- 責任を被せる: to shift blame onto
- 罪を被せる: to frame someone
NUANCE: 被せる is the causative-like transitive form of 被る. While 被る means to wear or be covered oneself, 被せる means to put something over someone/something else.
Related Words
Pair verb:
かぶる (intransitive)