向けます（むけます、mukemasu）
- to turn towards

The Japanese verb 向けます means "to turn towards," "to direct," "to aim at," "to face," or "to be intended for." It generally implies a change in direction, focus, or target. It can be used both literally and figuratively. The subject of the verb is the one doing the turning or directing. The object of the verb indicates where something or someone is being directed.

⚫︎ カメラを私に向けました Translation: He/She/They turned the camera towards me. ⚫︎ この本は子供向けです Translation: This book is for children. ⚫︎ 彼は新しいプロジェクトに向けて準備を始めた Translation: He started preparing for the new project.

⚫︎ 向けます is used when you want to describe a change in direction or focus. ⚫︎ It can be used to describe the physical act of turning something, like a camera or your head. ⚫︎ It is also used to indicate that something is aimed at a particular target or group of people. ⚫︎ It can describe preparing for something. ⚫︎ It is a versatile verb applicable in various contexts. ⚫︎ It is often followed by a particle like に (ni, to/towards) or へ (e, to/towards), indicating the direction, target, or purpose.

⚫︎ The base form is 向く (muku). ⚫︎ The ます-form is 向けます (mukemasu). ⚫︎ It is written in hiragana as むけます. ⚫︎ The kanji is 向 (mu) but is not often used. ⚫︎ The okurigana (suffix hiragana) is consistent as け.

⚫︎ 向かう (mukau): to head towards, to go towards ⚫︎ 目指す (mezasu): to aim for, to strive for ⚫︎ 対象とする (taishō to suru): to target, to aim at (more formal) ⚫︎ 着目する (chakumoku suru): to pay attention to, to focus on ⚫︎ 注視する (chūshi suru): to watch carefully, to observe carefully

⚫︎ Although there isn't a direct antonym, you could consider words like "to turn away" or "to divert". ⚫︎ There are no direct antonyms in the same meaning. The opposite meaning can be expressed by using different sentence structures or words.

私は犬に向かって手を振った ・Translation: I waved my hand towards the dog. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the literal use of 向けます, showing the action of directing an action (waving) toward a specific object (the dog).

この映画は大人向けではありません ・Translation: This movie is not for adults. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates the usage of 向けます in a more abstract sense, indicating that something is intended for a particular audience or target group.

⚫︎ The etymology of 向けます stems from the verb 向く (muku), which originally meant "to face" or "to turn." ⚫︎ The addition of the suffix ます (-masu) is a polite verb ending, changing it to 向けます. ⚫︎ 向 (mu) originally meant to face or turn to a certain direction.