Illustration: At a neighborhood gathering in a Japanese community room, a host offers to refill a guest’s teacup from a pot. The guest smiles politely but raises one open palm toward the host and covers the cup with their other hand.

JLPT N3verbLevel estimated by Bebop

断ことわる

kotowaru

to refuse, to turn down

Example sentences

なぜ彼かれの申もうし出でを断ことわったのですか。
Why did you turn down his offer?
Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source
彼かれは握手あくしゅを断ことわった。
He refused to shake hands.
Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source
彼かれはきっぱりと断ことわった。
He gave a flat refusal.
Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

Kanji in 断

断cut; decideOnダンKunたつ・ことわる・さだめる

A word like this on every new tab

The Bebop Chrome extension shows one illustrated Japanese word each time you open a new tab in Chrome, with its reading, meaning, kanji and three example sentences. Choose any mix of levels from N5 to beyond N1. It’s free, with no account.

The Bebop new tab showing 音楽, music, over an illustration of a family playing music at home, with three example sentences

Add to Chrome Free on the Chrome Web Store

For Chrome on a computer. See it on the Chrome Web Store