預ける: leaving something in someone's care
The bank sentence looks right — until you check which way the money goes.
55% of 60 answers were right — one of the hardest questions in the catalogue.
Choose the sentence in which the word is used correctly.
- 銀行からお金を預けた。
- 友だちに宿題の答えを預けてもらった。
- 新しい単語をノートに預けた。
- ホテルのフロントに荷物を預けた。✓ correct
I left my luggage at the hotel front desk.
What it is testing
預ける means to leave something with a person or place for safekeeping: your bags at the front desk, your money at the bank, your child at nursery. The pattern is [person or place]に [thing]を 預ける.
Its partner 預かる is the other side: you look after something someone has left with you. And taking money out of the bank is a different verb altogether, 下ろす — which is why 銀行からお金を預けた is wrong: から points the wrong way.
Leaving, keeping and taking back
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 預ける | to leave in someone's care | 銀行にお金を預ける |
| 預かる | to look after (for someone) | 荷物を預かる |
| 下ろす | to withdraw (money) | 銀行からお金を下ろす |
| 貸す・借りる | to lend, to borrow | 本を貸す・本を借りる |
Why the wrong answers are tempting
- ✕ 銀行からお金を預けた。The usage-question classic: the right topic with the wrong particle. You leave money at (に) a bank; from (から) a bank you withdraw it.
- ✕ 友だちに宿題の答えを預けてもらった。預ける is about keeping things safe, not passing on information. Getting answers is 教えてもらう.
- ✕ 新しい単語をノートに預けた。Writing something down is 書く or メモする.
More examples
- 駅のロッカーに荷物を預けた。I left my bags in a locker at the station.
- 子どもを保育園に預けて働いている。I leave my child at nursery and go to work.
- 一週間、隣の家の猫を預かった。I looked after the neighbours' cat for a week.
In usage questions, check the particles as closely as the meaning — the wrong ones are often the right word pointed the wrong way.