(せん)じる

せんじる
verb
to decoct; to boil down; to brew (herbs, tea)
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present(せん)じる(せん)じない
Present polite(せん)じます(せん)じません
Past(せん)じた(せん)じなかった
Past polite(せん)じました(せん)じませんでした
て form(せん)じて(せん)じなくて
ている present(せん)じている(せん)じていない
ている polite(せん)じています(せん)じていません
ている past(せん)じていた(せん)じていなかった
ている past polite(せん)じていました(せん)じていませんでした
Conditional ば(せん)じれば(せん)じなければ
Conditional たら(せん)じたら(せん)じなかったら
Volitional(せん)じよう
Volitional polite(せん)じましょう
Potential(せん)じられる(せん)じられない
Passive(せん)じられる(せん)じられない
Causative(せん)じさせる(せん)じさせない
Imperative(せん)じろ(せん)じるな
1. to decoct; to boil down; to brew (herbs, tea)
To extract the essence of herbs, medicinal plants, or tea leaves by simmering them in water. Associated with traditional herbal medicine and tea preparation.
薬草(やくそう)(せん)じて()む。
I decoct medicinal herbs and drink them.
祖母(そぼ)風邪(かぜ)のときに(くすり)(せん)じてくれた。
My grandmother would brew medicine for me when I had a cold.
漢方薬(かんぽうやく)は、()められた時間(じかん)だけ弱火(よわび)(せん)じることが大切(たいせつ)だ。
It is important to decoct Chinese herbal medicine over low heat only for the prescribed time.

Refers to simmering herbs, medicinal plants, or tea in water to draw out their active components. Strongly associated with 漢方(かんぽう) (traditional Chinese herbal medicine).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • (くすり)(せん)じる: to decoct medicine
  • 薬草(やくそう)(せん)じる: to brew medicinal herbs
  • (せん)(ぐすり): a decoction; herbal brew

The idiom (つめ)(あか)(せん)じて()む means to imitate an admirable person, wishing one had their good qualities.

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 煮出(にだ)す: to extract by boiling — close in meaning, used more for tea and broth
  • ()れる: to brew (tea, coffee) — for ordinary steeping, not medicinal decoction