Collocations (コロケーション) - 自然な単語の組み合わせ
コロケーション = 一緒に使われることが多い単語の組み合わせ。文法的に正しくても不自然な組み合わせがある。
Make vs Do — 最大の難関
MAKE
| Collocation | Japanese | Example |
|---|---|---|
| make a decision | 決定する | We need to make a decision by Friday. |
| make a mistake | 間違える | Don't worry, everyone makes mistakes. |
| make money | お金を稼ぐ | She makes good money as a consultant. |
| make a plan | 計画を立てる | Let's make a plan for the weekend. |
| make progress | 進歩する | You're making great progress in English! |
| make an effort | 努力する | You should make an effort to be on time. |
| make a difference | 違いを生む | Small changes can make a big difference. |
| make a suggestion | 提案する | Can I make a suggestion? |
| make a complaint | 苦情を言う | I'd like to make a complaint. |
| make an appointment | 予約する | I need to make an appointment with the dentist. |
| make a promise | 約束する | He made a promise to quit smoking. |
| make a noise | 音を立てる | The kids are making too much noise. |
| make friends | 友達になる | She finds it easy to make friends. |
| make breakfast/lunch/dinner | 食事を作る | I'll make dinner tonight. |
| make a phone call | 電話する | I need to make a phone call. |
| make sense | 意味が通る | That doesn't make sense. |
| make sure | 確認する | Make sure you lock the door. |
| make up your mind | 決心する | I can't make up my mind. |
| make a living | 生計を立てる | How does he make a living? |
| make the bed | ベッドを整える | Don't forget to make your bed. |
DO
| Collocation | Japanese | Example |
|---|---|---|
| do homework | 宿題をする | Have you done your homework? |
| do the dishes | 皿洗いをする | Could you do the dishes? |
| do the laundry | 洗濯する | I need to do the laundry. |
| do housework | 家事をする | She does all the housework. |
| do a favor | お願いを聞く | Can you do me a favor? |
| do business | 取引する | We'd like to do business with you. |
| do exercise | 運動する | You should do more exercise. |
| do damage | 損害を与える | The storm did a lot of damage. |
| do your best | 最善を尽くす | Just do your best. |
| do research | 研究する | She's doing research on climate change. |
| do well/badly | うまくいく | He did really well on the test. |
| do someone good | 人のためになる | A vacation would do you good. |
| do harm | 害を与える | The medicine might do more harm than good. |
| do a job | 仕事をする | He does a great job. |
覚え方のコツ
- Make = 何かを生み出す・作り出すイメージ (create, produce)
- Do = 作業・活動のイメージ (perform, carry out)
Have + Noun
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| have a look | Have a look at this. (ちょっと見て) |
| have a break | Let's have a break. (休憩しよう) |
| have a chat | We need to have a chat. (話し合おう) |
| have a go | Have a go! (やってみなよ!) |
| have a good time | Did you have a good time? (楽しかった?) |
| have a shower/bath | I need to have a shower. |
| have a drink | Let's have a drink after work. |
| have a meal | We had a meal together. |
| have an argument | They had an argument about money. |
| have a dream | I had a strange dream last night. |
| have a headache | I have a headache. |
| have a problem | I have a problem with my computer. |
| have an effect | The medicine had no effect. |
| have an accident | He had an accident on the highway. |
| have difficulty | I have difficulty understanding him. |
| have fun | Have fun! (楽しんで!) |
Take + Noun
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| take a photo | Can you take a photo of us? |
| take a break | I need to take a break. |
| take a shower | I'll take a shower first. (USでよく使う) |
| take a nap | I took a nap after lunch. |
| take a walk | Let's take a walk. |
| take a look | Take a look at this. |
| take a seat | Please take a seat. |
| take notes | I always take notes in class. |
| take turns | We take turns cooking dinner. |
| take responsibility | You need to take responsibility. |
| take a risk | Sometimes you have to take risks. |
| take action | We need to take action now. |
| take time | Learning a language takes time. |
| take medicine | Did you take your medicine? |
| take a test/exam | I'm taking the TOEIC test next month. |
| take place | The event takes place in July. |
| take care | Take care of yourself! |
| take advantage of | She took advantage of the opportunity. |
| take it easy | Take it easy! (気楽にいこう!) |
Get + Adjective / Past Participle
| Collocation | Japanese | Example |
|---|---|---|
| get better | 良くなる | I hope you get better soon. |
| get worse | 悪くなる | The traffic is getting worse. |
| get lost | 迷う | We got lost in the forest. |
| get married | 結婚する | They're getting married in June. |
| get divorced | 離婚する | They got divorced last year. |
| get dressed | 服を着る | Hurry up and get dressed! |
| get angry | 怒る | Don't get angry! |
| get tired | 疲れる | I get tired easily. |
| get ready | 準備する | Are you getting ready? |
| get started | 始める | Let's get started! |
| get used to | 慣れる | I'm getting used to the cold. |
| get rid of | 処分する | I need to get rid of these old clothes. |
| get along with | 仲良くする | I get along well with my colleagues. |
Strong Collocations — 形容詞 + 名詞
| Natural (自然) | Unnatural (不自然) | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| heavy rain | ✗ strong rain | 大雨 |
| strong wind | ✗ heavy wind | 強風 |
| heavy traffic | ✗ big traffic | 渋滞 |
| fast food | ✗ quick food | ファストフード |
| strong coffee | ✗ powerful coffee | 濃いコーヒー |
| high temperature | ✗ tall temperature | 高温 |
| deep sleep | ✗ heavy sleep | 深い眠り |
| broad/wide range | ✗ big range | 幅広い範囲 |
| great/big deal | ✗ large deal | 大したこと |
| close friend | ✗ near friend | 親しい友人 |
| key issue | ✗ important issue | 重要な問題 |
| golden opportunity | ✗ gold opportunity | 絶好の機会 |
| sharp increase | ✗ pointed increase | 急増 |
| bitter cold | ✗ strong cold | 厳しい寒さ |
| bright future | ✗ shiny future | 明るい未来 |
| common sense | ✗ normal sense | 常識 |
| best wishes | ✗ good wishes | お祈り申し上げます |
Verb + Noun — よく間違えるもの
| Natural | Unnatural | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| catch a cold | ✗ get a cold (口語ではOK) | 風邪を引く |
| pay attention | ✗ give attention | 注意を払う |
| keep a secret | ✗ hold a secret | 秘密を守る |
| break a record | ✗ destroy a record | 記録を破る |
| miss a chance | ✗ lose a chance (口語OK) | チャンスを逃す |
| run a business | ✗ do a business | 事業を営む |
| give a speech | ✗ make a speech (UK OK) | スピーチをする |
| tell a lie | ✗ say a lie | 嘘をつく |
| tell the truth | ✗ say the truth | 真実を言う |
| raise a question | ✗ lift a question | 質問を提起する |
| meet a deadline | ✗ catch a deadline | 締め切りに間に合う |
| commit a crime | ✗ do a crime | 犯罪を犯す |
| save time | ✗ spare time (= 余暇) | 時間を節約する |
| waste time | ✗ lose time | 時間を無駄にする |
Adverb + Adjective
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| deeply concerned | I'm deeply concerned about this. |
| highly recommended | This restaurant is highly recommended. |
| perfectly fine | Don't worry, it's perfectly fine. |
| fully aware | I'm fully aware of the risks. |
| utterly ridiculous | That's utterly ridiculous. |
| absolutely delicious | The food was absolutely delicious. |
| bitterly disappointed | She was bitterly disappointed. |
| completely wrong | You're completely wrong. |
| seriously injured | Three people were seriously injured. |
| virtually impossible | It's virtually impossible to do. |
| widely known | He's widely known as an expert. |
| well worth | It's well worth visiting. |
absolutely vs very — gradable vs ungradable
- very good / tired / important (段階のある形容詞)
- absolutely fantastic / exhausted / essential (段階のない形容詞)
- ✗ very fantastic / ✗ absolutely good
Common Mistakes by Japanese Speakers
- ✗ I did a mistake. → ✓ I made a mistake.
- ✗ I catched a cold. → ✓ I caught a cold.
- ✗ strong rain → ✓ heavy rain
- ✗ He said a lie. → ✓ He told a lie.
- ✗ open/close the light → ✓ turn on/off the light
- ✗ eat medicine → ✓ take medicine
- ✗ play piano (US needs "the") → ✓ play the piano
- ✗ do a decision → ✓ make a decision
- ✗ I made my homework. → ✓ I did my homework.
- ✗ very delicious → ✓ absolutely delicious (ungradable)
Practice
Choose the correct collocation:
- Can you ___ (make/do) me a favor? → do
- She ___ (made/did) a big mistake. → made
- There's ___ (heavy/strong) traffic today. → heavy
- I need to ___ (make/take) a decision. → make
- Let's ___ (take/have) a break. → take/have (both OK)
- He ___ (told/said) me a lie. → told
- Don't forget to ___ (take/eat) your medicine. → take
- The food was ___ (very/absolutely) amazing. → absolutely