かける (掛ける): One Verb, 10+ Meanings (with Examples)
Why one verb has so many meanings
When you first meet かける, the list of translations can feel random — hang? call? multiply? But there's a thread running through almost all of them: something gets put onto, over, or directed toward something else.
A coat goes onto a hook (hang). Glasses go onto your face (wear). A phone call is aimed toward a person. Time and money get applied to a task. Even multiplication is "applying" one number to another. Hold that "place X onto Y" image in your head and the long list below suddenly feels like one idea wearing different outfits — not ten things to memorize.
One structural note before the meanings: かける is the transitive verb (you do it to something). It has an intransitive twin, かかる ("something hangs / takes / is applied"), which we'll compare at the end — it's a favorite JLPT trap.
The meanings, most common first
1. To hang / put up (掛ける)
壁に絵をかける。
かべに えを かける。
To hang a picture on the wall.
2. To make a phone call (電話をかける)
友達に電話をかけた。
ともだちに でんわを かけた。
I called a friend.
電話をかける is a fixed set phrase — learn the three words as one chunk.
3. To put on / wear (glasses) (眼鏡をかける)
眼鏡をかけて本を読む。
めがねを かけて ほんを よむ。
I read books with my glasses on.
Glasses use かける — not きる (clothes) or はく (trousers/shoes).
4. To sit down (椅子にかける)
どうぞ、こちらにおかけください。
どうぞ、こちらに おかけ ください。
Please have a seat here.
A polite, very common way to offer someone a seat.
5. To spend (time or money) (時間／お金をかける)
この料理に時間をかけた。
この りょうりに じかんを かけた。
I spent a lot of time on this dish.
6. To pour / sprinkle over (かける)
ご飯に醤油をかける。
ごはんに しょうゆを かける。
To pour soy sauce over rice.
7. To multiply (掛ける) — in math
3に4をかけると12になる。
さんに よんを かけると じゅうにに なる。
3 multiplied by 4 is 12.
8. To cause (trouble) / put a burden on someone (迷惑をかける)
ご迷惑をおかけしました。
ごめいわくを おかけしました。
I'm sorry for the trouble I caused.
A set apology phrase you'll hear constantly in polite Japanese.
And it keeps going, all from the same "apply X onto Y" image: 鍵をかける (to lock), 音楽をかける (to play music), 保険をかける (to take out insurance), 声をかける (to call out to someone). You don't need to memorize each as a separate word — once the core image clicks, most of them feel intuitive.
Common collocations worth memorizing
Some かける phrases are so fixed that natives treat them as single units. Learn these as chunks and you'll sound natural fast:
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 電話をかける | to make a phone call |
| 眼鏡をかける | to wear glasses |
| 迷惑をかける | to cause trouble |
| 鍵をかける | to lock |
| 時間をかける | to take / spend time |
| 音楽をかける | to play music |
| 声をかける | to call out to / approach someone |
Kanji & related かける verbs
The everyday kanji is 掛 ("to hang") — though in casual writing かける is very often left in kana. Watch out, though: several different かける verbs are written with different kanji and mean completely different things:
- 欠ける (かける, N3) — to be lacking / chipped
- 賭ける (かける, N1) — to bet, to gamble
- 駆ける (かける, N1) — to run, to gallop
At N5, focus on the all-purpose かける / 掛ける. Just know the others exist so they don't surprise you later.
かける vs かかる — the trap
These two are a transitive/intransitive pair, and the JLPT loves testing them. The difference is who's doing it:
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| かける (transitive) | Someone does the action to something | 壁に絵をかける = (I) hang a picture on the wall |
| かかる (intransitive) | Something is in that state, or it happens on its own | 壁に絵がかかっている = a picture is hanging on the wall |
A neat way to feel it: with かける you can point to the person doing it; with かかる you're just describing how things are. 鍵をかける = "I lock it"; 鍵がかかっている = "it's locked." Same with time: この仕事は時間がかかる = "this job takes time" (it just does, no one's spending it on purpose).
Quick recap
- One image powers them all: apply / place X onto Y.
- High-value chunks: 電話をかける, 眼鏡をかける, 迷惑をかける, 鍵をかける.
- It's a transitive ru-verb; its partner かかる is intransitive.
- Other かける kanji (欠ける, 賭ける, 駆ける) are different verbs — learn them later.
Your turn
Ready to test your N5 vocabulary in context?
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Is かける a ru-verb or u-verb?
かける is a Group 2 (ru-verb / ichidan) verb: かけ-る → かけ-ます, かけ-て, かけ-ない. It conjugates just like 食べる.
Which verb do I use for wearing glasses?
Glasses use かける (眼鏡をかける). Clothing items use different verbs — はく for trousers and shoes, きる for shirts and jackets, かぶる for hats.
What is the difference between かける and かかる?
かける is transitive (you do it to something): 鍵をかける = to lock. かかる is intransitive (something is in that state): 鍵がかかっている = it's locked.
Why does かける have so many meanings?
They nearly all share one core image — placing or applying something onto another thing. Hanging, phoning, wearing glasses, spending time, and multiplying are all variations on 'apply X to Y.'