顧みる
かえりみる
verb (ichidan, transitive)
to look back on; to give thought to; to care about
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 顧みる | 顧みない |
| Present polite | 顧みます | 顧みません |
| Past | 顧みた | 顧みなかった |
| Past polite | 顧みました | 顧みませんでした |
| て form | 顧みて | 顧みなくて |
| ている present | 顧みている | 顧みていない |
| ている polite | 顧みています | 顧みていません |
| ている past | 顧みていた | 顧みていなかった |
| ている past polite | 顧みていました | 顧みていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 顧みれば | 顧みなければ |
| Conditional たら | 顧みたら | 顧みなかったら |
| Volitional | 顧みよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 顧みましょう | — |
| Potential | 顧みられる | 顧みられない |
| Passive | 顧みられる | 顧みられない |
| Causative | 顧みさせる | 顧みさせない |
| Imperative | 顧みろ | 顧みるな |
1.
to look back on; to review the past
To turn one's attention to what has already happened — a career, a period of history, a year now ending. Literary in tone.
2.
to give thought to; to concern oneself with
To pay heed to something that has a claim on one's attention. Most often met in the negative, describing someone who neglects family, safety, or their own health.
Transitivity
Transitive (他動詞); the object takes を.
Common collocations
- 過去を顧みる: to look back on the past
- 家庭を顧みない: to neglect one's family
- 危険を顧みず: heedless of danger
- 顧みて恥じるところがない: to have nothing to be ashamed of on reflection
Similar words
- 省みる: to reflect on oneself — same reading, different kanji; it is self-examination, whereas 顧みる looks outward at the past or at one's obligations
- 振り返る: to look back — the everyday word for sense 1, with no literary flavor
Usage
Sense 2 is far more common in the negative (顧みない, 顧みず) than in the positive.