捨てます（すてます、sutemaす）
- to throw away

The Japanese verb 捨てます (pronounced sutemasu) primarily means "to throw away," "to discard," or "to get rid of" something. It implies removing an item from your possession and placing it where it will no longer be used or kept. This can include putting something in the trash, recycling, or abandoning it. 捨てます suggests a permanent removal.

⚫︎ゴミを捨てます。 Translation: I throw away the trash. ⚫︎古い服を捨てました。 Translation: I threw away the old clothes. ⚫︎使わない物を捨てたいです。 Translation: I want to throw away things I don't use.

捨てます is a versatile verb used in various contexts. It's appropriate whenever you're removing something from your immediate care or possession. It's a common verb in everyday conversation. It can be used both literally (disposing of physical objects) and figuratively (e.g., "to abandon a plan"). You use the polite form 捨てます in most formal situations or when speaking to someone you don't know well. In casual conversations with friends and family, the plain form 捨てる is often used. In the present tense, it indicates an action you are currently performing or habitually perform. In the past tense (捨てました), it describes an action you already completed.

捨てます is written in hiragana as すてます. The kanji for "to throw away" is 捨 (sute), which is combined with the hiragana ます (masu) to form the polite verb form. There are no other common ways to write 捨てます using other forms. The okurigana (the hiragana following the kanji) is always て and then followed by ます in the polite form. The plain form ends with る.

⚫︎ 処分します (shobun shimasu) - to dispose of (more formal and often used for official disposal). ⚫︎ 捨てる (suteru) - the plain form of 捨てます ⚫︎ 廃棄します (haiki shimasu) - to discard, to scrap, or to abandon (often for larger items or in a more technical context). ⚫︎ ポイします (poi shimasu) - a more colloquial way to say to throw away (often used in casual settings).

⚫︎ 拾います (hiroimasu) - to pick up, to find. ⚫︎ 保管します (hokankan shimasu) - to keep, to store, or to preserve. ⚫︎ 取っておきます (totte okimasu) - to keep something for later.

今日は、雑誌を捨てます。 ・Translation: I will throw away the magazines today. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses the intention to discard magazines.

この古いペンはもう捨てます。 ・Translation: I will throw away this old pen now. ・Explanation: The speaker is deciding to get rid of the old pen.

The etymology of 捨てます (捨てる) is quite straightforward. The kanji 捨 (sute) originally meant "to abandon," "to cast away," or "to forsake." The verb likely evolved directly from the meaning of the kanji character.