応援します（おうえんします、ouenshimasu）
- to cheer

The Japanese word 応援します (o-en shimasu) means "to support," "to cheer," "to root for," or "to encourage." It conveys the act of showing support or expressing positive feelings towards someone or something. This can involve offering encouragement, giving moral support, or showing enthusiasm. It's often used in contexts where someone is trying to achieve a goal, participating in a competition, or facing a challenge. The 応援します also implies a desire for the person or thing to succeed.

⚫︎試合を応援します。 Translation: I will cheer for the game. ⚫︎あなたの夢を応援します。 Translation: I will support your dream. ⚫︎頑張って！応援しています！ Translation: Do your best! I'm cheering for you!

⚫︎You can use 応援します in various situations to express your support. ⚫︎It's common to use this word when talking about sports teams, performers, friends, family, or anyone pursuing a goal. ⚫︎You can use it formally or informally, depending on the context and your relationship with the person or group you're supporting. ⚫︎It's often accompanied by other expressions of encouragement such as 頑張って (ganbatte - do your best) or フレーフレー (fure fure - go, go!).

⚫︎応援します is typically written as 応援します in mixed kanji and hiragana. ⚫︎The kanji is 応援 (o-en). ⚫︎The verb stem is 応援 (o-en) and the polite verb suffix is します (shimasu). ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana following the kanji) are usually fixed as します. ⚫︎The informal form is 応援する (o-en suru).

⚫︎支援します (shien shimasu) - to support, assist. (Often used for practical or financial support.) ⚫︎励まします (hagemashimasu) - to encourage, to cheer up. ⚫︎助けます (tasukemasu) - to help, to assist. (Can be used for various kinds of help). ⚫︎サポートします (sapooto shimasu) - to support (loanword).

⚫︎ There aren't direct antonyms, but actions or words that show a lack of support or actively discourage someone would be the opposite. For example: ⚫︎邪魔します (jama shimasu) - to disturb, to get in the way. ⚫︎批判します (hihan shimasu) - to criticize.

私はあなたの新しいプロジェクトを応援します。 ・Translation: I will support your new project. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses support for someone's endeavor.

彼女はマラソン選手を応援するために、沿道にいました。 ・Translation: She was on the roadside to cheer on the marathon runners. ・Explanation: This sentence shows someone expressing support by watching and cheering for runners.

The word 応援 is made up of two kanji: 応 (ō) meaning "to respond," "to support," or "to answer" and 援 (en) meaning "to assist," "to aid," or "to support." Together, 応援 originally meant "to support with strength," the verb します (shimasu) is added to make it into a verb form.