Meaning

Primary

To Call

Alternatives

To Take, To Wear

Word Type

transitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means call, so the verb version is to call, as in calling someone over.

召す is an honorific verb, so it's used to talk about the actions of social higher-ups. 召す suggests the image of a superior who summons someone or something to themselves, hence the main meaning to call. But it can also be a polite way to say to take, like when they take a meal or a drink, and to wear when talking about their clothes.

Reading

めす
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:

If a noble decides to call you over, don’t look them in the (). That's super rude! To show respect when you're called, turn away your .

Context

Context Sentences

あなたのお姉さまは神に召されたのですよ。

Your older sister was called by the gods.

Kanji Composition