澄ます
すます
verb (godan)
to strain (one's ears); to look composed
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 澄ます | 澄まさない |
| Present polite | 澄まします | 澄ましません |
| Past | 澄ました | 澄まさなかった |
| Past polite | 澄ましました | 澄ましませんでした |
| て form | 澄まして | 澄まさなくて |
| ている present | 澄ましている | 澄ましていない |
| ている polite | 澄ましています | 澄ましていません |
| ている past | 澄ましていた | 澄ましていなかった |
| ている past polite | 澄ましていました | 澄ましていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 澄ませば | 澄まさなければ |
| Conditional たら | 澄ましたら | 澄まさなかったら |
| Volitional | 澄まそう | — |
| Volitional polite | 澄ましましょう | — |
| Potential | 澄ませる | 澄ませない |
| Passive | 澄まされる | 澄まされない |
| Causative | 澄まさせる | 澄まさせない |
| Imperative | 澄ませ | 澄ますな |
1.
to strain (one's ears); to sharpen (one's senses)
To focus one's hearing or attention carefully, especially to detect faint sounds or details.
2.
to look composed; to put on an innocent face; to act prim
To adopt a calm, composed, or innocent expression, often concealing one's true feelings or pretending not to be involved.
Usage
Sense 1 is most commonly used with 耳 (ears): 耳を澄ます (to strain one's ears). Sense 2 describes a composed or innocent demeanor, often with a slightly negative nuance suggesting the person is hiding something or being aloof. The intransitive partner is 澄む (to become clear).
Note: Not to be confused with the homophone 済ます (to finish, to get by), which is a different word.
Common collocations
Similar words
- 済ます: to finish, to settle — homophone but unrelated meaning
- とぼける: to feign ignorance — similar to sense 2, but more clearly implies pretending