相談します（そうだんします、soudanshimasu）
- to consult

The Japanese word 相談します (そうだんします) means "to consult," "to discuss," "to talk over," or "to seek advice." It implies seeking another person's opinion, suggestions, or help regarding a problem, decision, or situation. The focus is on sharing information and considering different perspectives to reach a conclusion or solution. The word suggests a collaborative approach to address a concern. The base form is 相談 (そうだん), which means "consultation" or "discussion." The verb します (します) is a polite form of "to do." Therefore, 相談しますis the polite form of the verb "to consult" or "to discuss."

⚫︎仕事について、上司に相談します。 Translation: I will consult with my supervisor about work. ⚫︎友達に将来について相談しました。 Translation: I consulted with my friend about the future. ⚫︎何か困ったことがあれば、いつでも私に相談してください。 Translation: If you have any problems, please consult me anytime.

You use 相談します when you want to ask someone for their advice, opinion, or help on a matter. ⚫︎It's common to use it when you're unsure about something and want to get a different perspective. ⚫︎You can use it in both formal and informal situations, though the level of formality might influence the surrounding language (e.g., using polite language like ～ます for formal situations). ⚫︎It's often followed by a topic, which is introduced by the particle について (ni tsuite - about) or の (no - of/about). ⚫︎For example, 仕事について相談します (shigoto ni tsuite sōdan shimasu - I will consult about work). ⚫︎The person you are consulting with is usually marked by the particle に (ni). For example, 友達に相談します (tomodachi ni sōdan shimasu - I will consult with a friend). ⚫︎You can also use 相談しますする without specifying who you are consulting with if the context is clear.

⚫︎The word is typically written in hiragana as そうだんします. ⚫︎The kanji form is 相談します. ⚫︎相談 (sōdan) itself is written with the kanji 相談. The kanji 相談 means "consultation" or "discussion." ⚫︎The verb します (shimasu) is written in hiragana. ⚫︎There are no variations in the okurigana (the suffix hiragana) of 相談します. The okurigana is always します. ⚫︎Other forms of the verb include: ⚫︎ 相談する (sōdan suru) - to consult (plain form) ⚫︎ 相談した (sōdan shita) - consulted (past tense) ⚫︎ 相談してください (sōdan shite kudasai) - Please consult (request) ⚫︎ 相談しました (sōdan shimashita) - Consulted (past tense, polite form) ⚫︎ 相談しますする (sōdan suru) or 相談 (sōdan) can also be used as the root word.

⚫︎話し合う (hanashiau) - to discuss, to talk over ⚫︎意見を聞く (iken o kiku) - to ask for an opinion ⚫︎アドバイスを求める (adobaisu o motomeru) - to seek advice ⚫︎打ち合わせる (uchiawaseru) - to confer; to hold a meeting ⚫︎協議する (kyōgi suru) - to consult; to discuss (more formal)

There aren't direct antonyms, but words that imply not seeking advice or handling something alone could be considered related. ⚫︎一人でする (hitori de suru) - to do it alone ⚫︎決める (kimeru) - to decide (on one's own) ⚫︎判断する (handan suru) - to judge; to decide

来週のイベントについて、企画部と相談します。 ・Translation: I will consult with the planning department about next week's event. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the use of 相談します in the context of a work-related matter.

この問題について、先生に相談します。 ・Translation: I will consult with the teacher about this problem. ・Explanation: The sentence illustrates seeking advice from a teacher, emphasizing the particle に.

The word 相談 (sōdan) is a compound word. 相 (sō) means "mutual" or "together," and 談 (dan) means "to talk" or "to discuss." Therefore, the etymology suggests "talking together" or "mutual discussion," which accurately reflects the meaning of seeking advice or discussing a matter with someone. The verb suffix します (shimasu) is the polite form of the verb "to do" (する - suru).