怠ります（おこたります、okotarimasu）
- to neglect

The Japanese word 怠ります, read as おこたります (okotarimasu), means "to neglect," "to be negligent," "to shirk," or "to slack off." It implies a failure to fulfill one's duties, responsibilities, or obligations, often due to laziness, carelessness, or a lack of effort. It can refer to neglecting work, studies, or other commitments. The implication is often that something that should have been done wasn't, with possible negative consequences.

⚫︎ 宿題を怠りました Translation: I neglected my homework. ⚫︎ 健康管理を怠らないようにしてください。 Translation: Please don't neglect your health management. ⚫︎ 彼は約束を怠りがちだ。 Translation: He tends to shirk his promises.

怠ります is a formal verb and is generally used in more serious contexts, reflecting the gravity of neglecting a duty. It is appropriate when discussing work, studies, or important responsibilities. It is less common in casual conversation. The polite form (masu-form) is 怠ります --> 怠ります (okotarimasu). You can use it when speaking to superiors, colleagues, or in formal situations.

⚫︎ The word is typically written in kanji as 怠ります. ⚫︎ The hiragana reading is おこたります. ⚫︎ There are no other common ways to write this word. ⚫︎ The okurigana is standard, which is the hiragana suffix "ります" after the kanji "怠".

⚫︎ サボる (saboru) - to skip, to goof off (more casual) ⚫︎ 手を抜く (te o nuku) - to cut corners, to do things half-heartedly ⚫︎ 疎かにする (usoyaka ni suru) - to neglect, to take lightly ⚫︎ 軽視する (keishi suru) - to disregard, to look down on

⚫︎ 真面目に取り組む (majime ni torikumu) - to work diligently ⚫︎ 熱心に取り組む (nesshin ni torikumu) - to work enthusiastically ⚫︎ 励む (hagemu) - to strive, to exert oneself ⚫︎ 精を出す (sei o dasu) - to put effort into

仕事に対する責任感を怠ると、信用を失います。 ・Translation: If you neglect your sense of responsibility towards your work, you will lose trust. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the negative consequences of neglecting one's work responsibilities, highlighting the importance of fulfilling duties.

試験勉強を怠ったせいで、不合格になってしまった。 ・Translation: Because I neglected to study for the exam, I failed. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses the direct result of not studying (neglecting one's studies), leading to failure in an exam.

The kanji 怠 (tai) means "lazy" or "idle." The verb 怠ります is formed by combining this kanji with the polite verb ending ます (masu), which is often attached to the verb stem to form the polite form. Therefore, its etymology comes from the idea of being lazy, neglecting, and shirking responsibilities.