取り立てる
とりたてる
ichidan verb
to collect forcibly; to single out; to promote
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 取り立てる | 取り立てない |
| Present polite | 取り立てます | 取り立てません |
| Past | 取り立てた | 取り立てなかった |
| Past polite | 取り立てました | 取り立てませんでした |
| て form | 取り立てて | 取り立てなくて |
| ている present | 取り立てている | 取り立てていない |
| ている polite | 取り立てています | 取り立てていません |
| ている past | 取り立てていた | 取り立てていなかった |
| ている past polite | 取り立てていました | 取り立てていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 取り立てれば | 取り立てなければ |
| Conditional たら | 取り立てたら | 取り立てなかったら |
| Volitional | 取り立てよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 取り立てましょう | — |
| Potential | 取り立てられる | 取り立てられない |
| Passive | 取り立てられる | 取り立てられない |
| Causative | 取り立てさせる | 取り立てさせない |
| Imperative | 取り立てろ | 取り立てるな |
1.
to collect forcibly; to demand payment; to dun
To press someone to pay a debt, tax, or other obligation, often in an aggressive or persistent manner.
借金を取り立てる。
To collect a debt.
毎日取り立ての電話がかかってくる。
Collection calls come every day.
業者が厳しく取り立てるので、生活が苦しくなった。
The creditor's harsh debt collection has made life difficult.
2.
to single out; to make special mention of; to highlight
To pick out and give special attention or emphasis to something. Often used in negative constructions meaning there is nothing worth singling out.
取り立てて言うことはない。
There's nothing worth singling out to mention.
取り立てて問題はなかった。
There were no particular problems worth mentioning.
取り立てて特徴のない町だが、住みやすい。
It's a town with nothing particularly distinctive, but it's easy to live in.
3.
to promote; to give a position to; to elevate
To appoint or promote someone to a position, especially someone of lower status.
若い社員を部長に取り立てた。
A young employee was promoted to department head.
殿様は身分の低い者を取り立てて家臣にした。
The lord elevated a person of low status and made him a retainer.
才能のある若者を取り立てて重要な役職に就かせた。
They promoted talented young people and placed them in important positions.
Compound verb of 取る (to take) + 立てる (to set up, establish). The three senses are quite distinct in usage.
USAGE:
Sense 1 (debt collection) is common in financial and legal contexts, and in stories about loan sharks. Sense 2 is very frequently used in the adverbial form 取り立てて, almost always in negative constructions (取り立てて～ない = "nothing particularly..."). Sense 3 (promote) has a somewhat historical or literary feel and implies elevating someone from a lower position.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 借金を取り立てる — to collect a debt
- 取り立てて～ない — nothing particularly...
- 人材を取り立てる — to promote talent
- 厳しく取り立てる — to collect harshly
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 徴収する — to collect, levy (official/institutional, more neutral)
- 催促する — to press, urge (less aggressive than 取り立てる)
- 抜擢する — to promote, single out for advancement (more formal, positive nuance)