答える
こたえる
kotaeru
= to answer / to reply / to respond
Kotaeru is the verb for giving a response — whether to a spoken question, a teacher’s prompt, or a ringing phone. It places the speaker in the role of respondent, making it one of the most common verbs in classrooms, interviews, and daily conversation.
The core pattern is ~ni kotaeru (〜に答える), where the particle ni marks what is being answered: shitsumon ni kotaeru means to answer a question, and denwa ni kotaeru means to answer the phone. The noun form kotae (答え) means an answer or solution, appearing in contexts from math problems to life dilemmas. It is important to distinguish kotaeru from henji suru (返事する): kotaeru is used when responding to questions, calls, or challenges — situations that require a substantive response — while henji suru refers to replying to a message, letter, or invitation, focusing on the act of sending a response back rather than providing content.
The clearest way to keep kotaeru and henji suru straight is to think about the medium and the expectation. If someone asks you a question face-to-face, in an exam, or over the phone, you kotaeru. If you receive a text message, an invitation, or a business email and need to write back, you do henji suru. Mixing them up is not a serious error, but native speakers will notice: saying LINE ni kotaeta for replying to a chat message sounds slightly off when henji shita is the natural choice.
The character 答 is composed of 竹 (bamboo) on top and 合 (to fit together / match) below. In ancient China, bamboo strips were used as writing surfaces, and matching a question strip with its answer strip was a literal act of kotaeru. The character preserves this image: a bamboo record that fits together with its counterpart, forming a complete exchange.
Everyday use
先生の質問に正しく答えることができた。
Sensei no shitsumon ni tadashiku kotaeru koto ga dekita.
I was able to answer the teacher’s question correctly.
Casual / Social Media
知らない番号だったけど、電話に答えてみた。
Shiranai bangou datta kedo, denwa ni kotaete mita.
It was an unknown number, but I answered the phone anyway.
Formal / Cultural context
面接官の質問一つ一つに丁寧に答えるよう心がけました。
Mensetsuikan no shitsumon hitotsu hitotsu ni teinei ni kotaeru you kokorogakemashita.
I made a point of answering each of the interviewer’s questions carefully.
In Japanese classrooms, the ritual of kotaeru carries social weight beyond simply being correct. Students are expected to stand before answering a teacher’s question (sensei no shitsumon ni kotaeru), and the manner of the response — volume, posture, sentence completion — is evaluated alongside accuracy. This means kotaeru is not just a linguistic act but a performance of respect and engagement.
The verb also appears in proverbs and set phrases that reflect how Japanese culture frames responsibility. Kitai ni kotaeru (期待に答える) means to meet someone’s expectations — literally to answer their hopes. This usage extends kotaeru beyond speech into the domain of action: fulfilling what was asked of you, whether in words or deeds, counts as a form of response.
In formal contexts such as press conferences or political hearings, journalists describe officials as shitsumon ni kotaenakatta (failed to answer the question) when they deflect or give non-answers. The cultural expectation embedded in kotaeru is that a true response is substantive and direct — evasion is noticed and named as a failure to answer, not merely a choice of words.