とる (取る): One Verb, Many Meanings (with Examples)
Why one verb has so many meanings
At first the translations of とる look scattered — take? grab? remove? photograph? But picture the literal action: a hand extends, closes around something, and pulls it in. That single gesture is the heart of every meaning. You take the salt by grabbing it. You take notes by capturing words. You take a vacation by claiming time for yourself. You remove a stain by grabbing it off the cloth. Even taking a photo is "grabbing" a moment with a camera.
So instead of memorizing a long list, hold onto that grasping-hand image and let the meanings hang off it. One structural note before we start: とる is transitive — you always take something (marked with を). It's a Group 1 う-verb, so the stem ends in a consonant sound: 取り-ます, 取っ-て, 取ら-ない, 取れ-る (potential, "can take").
The meanings, most common first
1. To take / grab / pick up (取る)
ヤッタンは本を取った。
ヤッタンは ほんを とった。
Yattan took the book.
The most literal meaning: reach out and grab it.
2. To pass / hand me (取ってください) (取る)
モチは「塩を取ってください」と言った。
モチは「しおを とって ください」と いった。
Mochi said, please pass me the salt.
At the table, 〜を取ってください means 'pass me…', not 'remove' — context decides.
3. To take notes (メモ／ノートを取る) (取る)
先生の話を聞きながら、ヤッタンはメモを取る。
せんせいの はなしを ききながら、ヤッタンは メモを とる。
Yattan takes notes while listening to the teacher.
メモを取る = to take notes; a fixed phrase worth memorizing as a chunk.
4. To take time off (休みを取る) (取る)
弟は明日、学校を休みを取りたいと言った。
おとうとは あした、がっこうを やすみを とりたいと いった。
My little brother said he wants to take tomorrow off school.
休みを取る = to take a holiday / a day off. You 'claim' the time for yourself.
5. To grow older (年を取る) (取る)
モチは「年を取ると、朝が早くなるね」と言った。
モチは「としを とると、あさが はやく なるね」と いった。
Mochi said, as you get older, you wake up earlier.
年を取る = to age / grow older — a set idiom, never literal 'taking.'
6. To remove / get rid of (取る)
ヤッタンはシャツの汚れを取った。
ヤッタンは シャツの よごれを とった。
Yattan removed the stain from his shirt.
Here とる means to take something away / off — to remove.
7. To take a photo (写真を撮る) — different kanji!
先生は公園で写真を撮った。
せんせいは こうえんで しゃしんを とった。
Sensei took a photo in the park.
Same sound とる, but写真 (photos) and videos use 撮る specifically.
And it keeps going from the same grasping image: 資格を取る (to get a qualification), 予約を取る (to make/get a reservation), 連絡を取る (to get in touch). Two more kanji you'll meet later, both still "とる": 採る (to pick/collect/hire — 社員を採る, N3+) and 捕る (to catch — 魚を捕る, N3+). At N5 you only need 取る and 撮る; just know the others exist.
Common collocations worth memorizing
Many とる phrases are fixed — natives treat them as single units. Learn them as chunks:
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| メモを取る | to take notes |
| 写真を撮る | to take a photo (撮る) |
| 休みを取る | to take time off |
| 年を取る | to grow older |
| 予約を取る | to make a reservation |
| 連絡を取る | to get in touch with someone |
| 資格を取る | to get a qualification |
Kanji & related とる verbs
The everyday kanji is 取 ("take"), and it covers almost everything at N5: 取る, メモを取る, 休みを取る, 年を取る, 汚れを取る. But several different とる verbs share the sound while using different kanji and meanings:
- 撮る (とる, N5-useful) — to take a photo or video. 写真を撮る always uses this one.
- 採る (とる, N3) — to pick / collect / hire / adopt (a method). 血を採る, 社員を採る.
- 捕る (とる, N3) — to catch / capture (an animal, a ball). 魚を捕る.
For N5, lock in 取る for the general "take" and 撮る for photos. The rest can wait.
取る vs 撮る vs 採る — same とる, different kanji
This is the classic homophone trap: three kanji, one reading. The kanji tells you what kind of taking it is.
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 取る (take / grab) | The all-purpose 'take': grab, pick up, take notes, take a day off, remove | 本を取る = to take a book; メモを取る = to take notes |
| 撮る (photograph) | Take a photo or shoot a video — capture an image | 写真を撮る = to take a photo |
| 採る (pick / hire) | Pick, collect, or hire — adopt or select something (N3+) | 社員を採る = to hire an employee |
A quick rule of thumb: if it's a camera, use 撮る; if you're hiring or harvesting, use 採る; for everything else at N5, use 取る. When you're not sure in casual writing, leaving it as kana とる is also fine and very common.
Quick recap
- One image powers them all: a hand reaching out to take hold of something.
- High-value chunks: メモを取る, 写真を撮る, 休みを取る, 年を取る.
- It's a transitive Group 1 う-verb: 取って, 取らない, 取ります.
- Same sound, different kanji: 取る (take), 撮る (photo), 採る (pick/hire, N3), 捕る (catch, N3).
Your turn
Ready to test your N5 vocabulary in context?
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Is とる a ru-verb or u-verb?
とる is a Group 1 (う-verb / godan) verb. The conjugations are 取ります, 取って, 取らない, and the potential 取れる ('can take'). It is not a ru-verb, even though it ends in る.
What is the difference between 取る and 撮る?
They sound identical (とる) but use different kanji. 取る is the general 'take / grab / pick up', while 撮る specifically means to take a photo or shoot a video. 写真を撮る always uses 撮る.
Does とる mean 'take' or 'remove'?
Both — they share the grasping-hand image. 本を取る = take a book; 汚れを取る = remove a stain. Context tells you which. At a table, 塩を取ってください usually means 'pass me the salt.'
Why does 年を取る mean 'to grow older'?
It is a set idiom: literally 'to take on years.' You don't translate it word-for-word — 年を取る simply means to age or get older.