Nihoner

“To abstain” in Japanese

Short answer
控える hikaeru ひかえる

To abstain in Japanese is “控える” (hikaeru). Full meaning: to be temperate in, to refrain, to abstain, to hold back, to restrain oneself from excessive ...; to make notes, to jot down (e.g. phone number); to be in preparation for, to be in waiting for.

Other ways to say “To abstain” in Japanese

慎む tsutsushimu to be careful, to be discreet; to do in moderation, to refrain (from overdoing), to abstain; to be reverent 扣える hikaeru to be temperate in, to refrain, to abstain, to hold back, to restrain oneself from excessive ...; to make notes, to jot down (e.g. phone number); to be in preparation for, to be in waiting for 断つ tatsu to sever, to cut off; to suppress, to eradicate, to exterminate; to abstain (from), to give up ひかえる hikaeru to be temperate in, to refrain, to abstain, to hold back, to restrain oneself from excessive ...; to make notes, to jot down (e.g. phone number); to be in preparation for, to be in waiting for 謹む tsutsushimu to be careful, to be discreet; to do in moderation, to refrain (from overdoing), to abstain; to be reverent 慎しむ tsutsushimu to be careful, to be discreet; to do in moderation, to refrain (from overdoing), to abstain; to be reverent 斷っ ta to sever, to cut off; to suppress, to eradicate, to exterminate; to abstain (from), to give up 絶つ tatsu to sever, to cut off; to suppress, to eradicate, to exterminate; to abstain (from), to give up たた tata to sever, to cut off; to suppress, to eradicate, to exterminate; to abstain (from), to give up 截っ ta to sever, to cut off; to suppress, to eradicate, to exterminate; to abstain (from), to give up 絶っ ta to sever, to cut off; to suppress, to eradicate, to exterminate; to abstain (from), to give up

Looking for the other direction? Search any Japanese word in the Nihoner lexicon, or practise what you have learned in the learning games.