直す
なおす
naosu
= to fix / to repair / to correct / to cure / to redo
直す (naosu) packs an impressive range into a single verb — it covers repairing a broken bicycle, correcting a typo, curing an illness, and even redoing a piece of work from scratch. That breadth makes it one of the most practical verbs an intermediate learner can master.
At its core, naosu is transitive: the subject acts on an object to restore or correct it. You fix the thing — 壊れた時計を直す (kowareta tokei wo naosu), fix a broken watch. This contrasts directly with its intransitive partner naoru (治る / 直る), where the thing fixes itself or heals on its own — 時計が直る (tokei ga naoru), the watch gets fixed. Keeping that transitive/intransitive pair straight is the key to using both verbs correctly.
Naosu also appears as a productive suffix meaning “to redo” or “to do again properly.” Attach it to the conjunctive stem of another verb: 書き直す (kaki-naosu) = rewrite, やり直す (yari-naosu) = redo from scratch, 考え直す (kangae-naosu) = reconsider. The nuance is not just repetition but doing the action better or more correctly the second time.
The kanji 直 carries the sense of straightness and correctness in all its uses: repairing something bent, correcting something wrong, and curing something that has gone off course.
The single most important distinction is naosu (直す / 治す) versus naoru (直る / 治る). Naosu is transitive — someone fixes or cures something. Naoru is intransitive — something fixes itself or a patient recovers. A common learner mistake is saying 風邪がなおした when meaning “I cured my cold” — the correct form is 風邪を直した (with を, transitive). If the subject is the sick person who recovered, use 風邪が治った (kaze ga naotta).
For the suffix usage, remember that -naosu implies the first attempt fell short. やり直す (yari-naosu) is stronger than simply doing something again; it carries an implicit admission that improvement was needed.
The kanji 直 is built from three elements stacked vertically: 十 (juu, ten) at the top, 目 (me, eye) in the middle, and 一 (ichi, a single horizontal line) at the bottom. The classical interpretation is an eye looking straight and true along a line — the idea of seeing clearly without distortion. From this image of unobstructed, direct vision comes the core meaning of straightness and correctness that underlies every use of 直す: you bring something back into alignment with how it should be.
Everyday use
自転車のパンクを自分で直した。
Jitensha no panku wo jibun de naoshita.
I fixed the flat tyre on my bicycle myself.
Casual / Social Media
誤字があったのでツイートを書き直しました。
Goji ga atta no de tsuiito wo kaki-naoshimashita.
There was a typo, so I rewrote the tweet.
Formal / Cultural context
提出前に報告書の誤りを全て直してください。
Teishutsu mae ni houkokusho no ayamari wo subete naoshite kudasai.
Please correct all the errors in the report before submitting it.
The concept behind 直す runs deep in Japanese craft culture. The philosophy of monozukuri (ものづくり) — the art of making things — extends naturally to repairing them. Artisans who specialize in restoring lacquerware, ceramics, or wooden furniture are highly respected, and the idea that a skilled craftsperson can 直す a damaged object so that it looks as good as new is a point of cultural pride.
Perhaps the most famous cultural expression of this value is kintsugi (金継ぎ), the practice of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with gold powder. The repaired piece is considered more beautiful for its history of breakage and mending — a literal, artistic application of 直す that transforms damage into artistry rather than hiding it.
In everyday working life, やり直す (yari-naosu) carries particular weight. Asking someone to redo work is a serious request, and doing so without complaint is considered a mark of professionalism and humility. The willingness to 直す one’s own mistakes — in writing, in craftsmanship, in interpersonal communication — is viewed as a mature and admirable quality.