つける (付ける): One Verb, Many Meanings (with Examples)
Why one verb has so many meanings
When you first meet つける, the translations look unrelated — attach? turn on? wear? apply? But one thread runs through all of them: you make something become attached to, or "come onto," something else.
A name gets attached to a baby (name it). A light gets switched so the power "comes onto" it (turn on). Lipstick gets applied onto your lips. An accessory gets put onto your body. Even keeping a diary is "putting" today's entry onto the page. Hold that "cause X to come onto Y" image and the long list below stops being random — it's one idea wearing different clothes.
One structural note before the meanings: つける is the transitive verb (you do it to something). It has an intransitive twin, つく ("something attaches / comes on / sticks"), which we'll compare at the end — it's a classic JLPT trap.
The meanings, most common first
1. To attach / put on (付ける)
ヤッタンはかばんに名札をつけた。
ヤッタンは かばんに なふだを つけた。
Yattan attached a name tag to his bag.
2. To turn on (a light or appliance) (点ける)
モチは部屋の電気をつけた。
モチは へやの でんきを つけた。
Mochi turned on the light in the room.
点ける is for switching power on; it's the opposite of 消す (to turn off).
3. To name / give a name (名前を付ける)
ヤッタンは子犬に「モチ」という名前をつけた。
ヤッタンは こいぬに「モチ」という なまえを つけた。
Yattan gave the puppy the name Mochi.
4. To keep (a diary / a record) (日記をつける)
先生は毎日日記をつけている。
せんせいは まいにち にっきを つけている。
Sensei keeps a diary every day.
Recording something regularly — 日記をつける, 家計簿をつける (keep a household account book).
5. To apply / put on (makeup, cream) (付ける)
モチはくちべにをつけて出かけた。
モチは くちべにを つけて でかけた。
Mochi put on lipstick and went out.
For applying something onto the skin or face — also クリームをつける.
6. To wear / put on (an accessory) (着ける)
ヤッタンの弟は新しい時計を身につけた。
ヤッタンの おとうとは あたらしい とけいを みに つけた。
Yattan's little brother put on a new watch.
身につける also means to acquire a skill or habit. Accessories use つける, not きる (clothes) or はく (trousers/shoes).
7. To turn on / switch on (TV, radio) (点ける)
弟は朝起きてすぐテレビをつける。
おとうとは あさ おきて すぐ テレビを つける。
Yattan's little brother turns on the TV right after waking up.
8. 気をつける — to be careful / take care (idiom)
先生は「車に気をつけてね」と言った。
せんせいは「くるまに きを つけてね」と いった。
Sensei said, Be careful of the cars.
A fixed idiom — learn 気をつける as one chunk meaning 'be careful / take care.'
And it keeps going, all from the same "cause X to come onto Y" image: 印をつける (to put a mark), 値段をつける (to set a price), 力をつける (to build up strength), 味をつける (to season / flavor). Once the core image clicks, most of these feel intuitive rather than like new words.
Common collocations worth memorizing
Some つける phrases are so fixed that natives treat them as single units. Learn these as chunks and you'll sound natural fast:
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 電気をつける | to turn on the light |
| テレビをつける | to turn on the TV |
| 気をつける | to be careful / take care |
| 名前をつける | to give a name |
| 日記をつける | to keep a diary |
| 身につける | to wear / to acquire (a skill) |
| 味をつける | to season / flavor |
Kanji & related つける verbs
The default, all-purpose kanji is 付 ("to attach") — and in everyday writing つける is very often left in kana. A few other kanji split off specific meanings:
- 点ける (つける) — to turn on a light or appliance (電気・テレビ・火)
- 着ける (つける) — to wear / put on (身に着ける, アクセサリーを着ける)
You'll also meet related verbs built on the same root:
- つく (付く, intransitive) — to be attached / to come on / to stick (the partner verb below)
- つく is also the verb in idioms like 気がつく (to notice) — the intransitive mirror of 気をつける
At N5, focus on the all-purpose つける / 付ける plus the common 点ける (turn on) and 着ける (wear). Don't stress the kanji split — kana is fine in most casual writing.
つける vs つく — 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 |
|---|---|---|
| つける (transitive) | Someone does the action to something | 電気をつける = (I) turn on the light |
| つく (intransitive) | Something comes on / attaches on its own | 電気がつく = the light comes on |
A neat way to feel it: with つける you can point to the person doing it, and the object takes を; with つく you're just describing what happens, and the subject takes が. テレビをつける = "I turn on the TV"; テレビがつく = "the TV comes on." Same with attaching: シールをつける = "I stick on a sticker"; シールがつく = "a sticker is stuck (on it)."
Quick recap
- One image powers them all: cause X to attach to, or come onto, Y.
- High-value chunks: 電気をつける, テレビをつける, 気をつける, 名前をつける, 日記をつける.
- It's a transitive ru-verb; its partner つく is intransitive (を vs が).
- Kanji split: 付ける (attach), 点ける (turn on), 着ける (wear) — but kana is common.
Your turn
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Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Is つける a ru-verb or u-verb?
つける is a Group 2 (ru-verb / ichidan) verb: つけ-る → つけ-ます, つけ-て, つけ-ない. It conjugates just like 食べる.
What is the difference between つける and つく?
つける is transitive (you do it to something, marked with を): 電気をつける = to turn on the light. つく is intransitive (something happens on its own, marked with が): 電気がつく = the light comes on.
Which kanji should I use for つける?
付ける is the all-purpose default (attach/put on). Use 点ける for turning on lights and appliances, and 着ける for wearing accessories. In casual writing, kana つける is very common.
What does 気をつける mean?
気をつける is a fixed idiom meaning 'to be careful' or 'take care.' Learn it as one chunk — for example 車に気をつけて = be careful of the cars.