答えます（こたえます、kotaemasu）
- to answer

The Japanese verb 答えます 答えます means "to answer," "to reply," or "to respond." It implies providing a response to a question, a request, or a situation. It is a transitive verb, meaning it generally takes a direct object (the thing being answered). The subject of the sentence is the person or thing answering. The direct object often relates to the question or request.

⚫︎質問に答えます。 Translation: I will answer the question. ⚫︎電話に出たら、誰の声か答えます。 Translation: When I answer the phone, I'll say who it is. ⚫︎手紙の返事を答えます。 Translation: I'll reply to the letter.

⚫︎This verb is used when giving a response to something. ⚫︎It can be used in formal and informal situations, though the level of formality might influence the polite form used (e.g., 答えます is polite, while 答える is plain form). ⚫︎It's common to use 答えます after a question word like "what" or "how" to indicate a response. ⚫︎It can also be used in more general senses, like when responding to an email, or acknowledging a situation.

⚫︎The verb is written as 答えます 答えます (hiragana: こたえます 答えます) ⚫︎The kanji form is 答えます. ⚫︎The plain form is 答える (こたえる) ⚫︎The "te-form" is 答えて (こたえて). ⚫︎There are no variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎返事します (へんじします) - to reply, to answer (more common in general replies) ⚫︎答弁します (とうべんします) - to answer (formal, often used in legal settings) ⚫︎応える (こたえる) - to answer, to respond (can imply a more emotional or internal response, but it can also be used as a synonym for 答えます 答えます).

⚫︎There isn't a single direct antonym. Not asking or not responding could be considered as opposites, though these are typically not single words. You could say "to not answer" as a conceptual antonym.

先生の質問に正しく答えます。 ・Translation: I will answer the teacher's question correctly. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates answering a question posed by a teacher, highlighting the application of 答えます 答えます in an educational context.

彼のメールにすぐに答えます。 ・Translation: I will reply to his email immediately. ・Explanation: This shows 答えます 答えます used to describe responding to a form of communication (email).

⚫︎The verb 答えます originates from the verb 答える (こたえる), which means "to answer" or "to reply." ⚫︎The kanji 答 (こたえ) means "answer" or "response," and is combined with the verb ending ます. ⚫︎The root is likely from Old Japanese, with the meaning evolving over time.