# 決める
## Japanese

* Kanji in this term
* 決
* き Grade: 3
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spellings
* 極める (less common) キメる ("consume" sense)

### Etymology

Derived as the transitive form of Old Japanese verb 決む (kimu, “to decide something, to conclude something; to be decided, to be concluded”).
The source verb kimu appears to follow a common pattern in Old Japanese verbs where the bare form is either transitive or intransitive, depending on context. This pattern persists in some modern verbs, such as つく (tsuku). Many of these Old Japanese verbs developed explicit transitive and intransitive forms, with one group adopting an -aru on the end for the intransitive (as the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis or incomplete form”) ending in -a + the conjugating る (ru) as the basic spontaneous or passive verb ending), and an -eru on the end for the transitive (as the 已然形 (izenkei, “realis or potential form”) + the disappearing る (ru) as a generic verb ending).

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) きめる [kìmérú] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [kʲime̞ɾɯ̟]
* Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of 「決める」
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary :
| Stem forms ||||
| Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形) | 決める | きめる | [kìmérú] |
| Imperative (命令形) | 決めろ | きめろ | [kìméró] |
| Key constructions ||||
| Passive | 決められる | きめられる | [kìmérárérú] |
| Causative | 決めさせる | きめさせる | [kìmésásérú] |
| Potential | 決められる | きめられる | [kìmérárérú] |
| Volitional | 決めよう | きめよー | [kìméyóꜜò] |
| Negative | 決めない | きめない | [kìménáí] |
| Negative perfective | 決めなかった | きめなかった | [kìménáꜜkàttà] |
| Formal | 決めます | きめます | [kìmémáꜜsù] |
| Perfective | 決めた | きめた | [kìmétá] |
| Conjunctive | 決めて | きめて | [kìmété] |
| Hypothetical conditional | 決めれば | きめれば | [kìméréꜜbà] |

### Verb

決(き)める • (kimeru) transitive ichidan (stem 決(き)め (kime), past 決(き)めた (kimeta))
Japanese verb pair :
| active | 決める |
| mediopassive | 決まる |
* to make a choice between multiple alternatives, to decide
    日(にち)時(じ)を決(き)める
       nichiji o kimeru
       to choose a time
    This verb also has many idiomatic shades of meaning based on the underlying sense of decide:
** to decide to do something: to do something on purpose
    横(おう)着(ちゃく)を決(き)める
       ōchaku o kimeru
       to decide to shirk → to shirk intentionally
** to perform a maneuver, to carry out a tactical action
    スクイズを決(き)めた
       sukuizu o kimeta
       We've decided on the squeeze → The squeeze play is on.
** to decide on an opinion: to believe in an opinion firmly
    彼(かれ)を犯(はん)人(にん)と決(き)めてかかる
       kare o hannin to kimete kakaru
       I know he was the murderer from the very beginning
** to decide on a common course of action: to be accustomed to do, to do habitually
    朝(ちょう)食(しょく)はパンに決(き)めている
       chōshoku wa pan ni kimete iru
       I always eat bread for breakfast
    This usage takes the particle に (ni), and usually uses the -ている (-te iru) progressive form.
** to make an impressive or attractive physical appearance, usually by grooming oneself or making some unusual gestures
    黒(くろ)い背広(せびろ)と紺色(こんいろ)のシャツで決(き)める
       kuroi sebiro to kon'iro no shatsu de kimeru
       to decide on one's appearance with a black suit and indigo shirt → to be set or look sharp in a black suit and indigo shirt
** キメる: (derogatory) to decide to eat or use something: to eat, to intake, to consume
    シャブをキメる
       shabu o kimeru
       to use addictive drugs

#### Conjugation

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms") :
| Mizenkei ("imperfective") | 決め | きめ | kime |
| Ren’yōkei ("continuative") | 決め | きめ | kime |
| Shūshikei ("terminal") | 決める | きめる | kimeru |
| Rentaikei ("attributive") | 決める | きめる | kimeru |
| Kateikei ("hypothetical") | 決めれ | きめれ | kimere |
| Meireikei ("imperative") | 決めよ¹ 決めろ² | きめよ¹ きめろ² | kimeyo¹ kimero² |
| Key constructions ||||
| Passive | 決められる | きめられる | kimerareru |
| Causative | 決めさせる 決めさす | きめさせる きめさす | kimesaseru kimesasu |
| Potential | 決められる 決めれる³ | きめられる きめれる³ | kimerareru kimereru³ |
| Volitional | 決めよう | きめよう | kimeyō |
| Negative | 決めない 決めぬ 決めん | きめない きめぬ きめん | kimenai kimenu kimen |
| Negative continuative | 決めず | きめず | kimezu |
| Formal | 決めます | きめます | kimemasu |
| Perfective | 決めた | きめた | kimeta |
| Conjunctive | 決めて | きめて | kimete |
| Hypothetical conditional | 決めれば | きめれば | kimereba |
| ¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative ³ Colloquial potential ||||

#### Related terms

* 決(き)まる (kimaru): to be decided, to be concluded, to be brought to a resolution (intransitive form)

### References

* ↑ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN