makeru-vs-akirameru

2022年1月6日2026年4月21日

English speakers sometimes confuse 負ける (makeru) and あきらめる (akirameru) because both can relate to not succeeding. But they describe very different situations. 負ける means to lose — specifically in a competition or contest. あきらめる means to give up — to stop trying, regardless of whether there is a contest involved. This guide breaks down the nuance clearly with plenty of examples.

Yuka

Hey Rei, what’s the best way to remember the difference between 負ける and あきらめる?

Rei

The best trick is to associate each word with a strong image or situation. By the end of this article you’ll have one for each — promise!

TOC

At a Glance: 負ける vs. あきらめる

Feature	負ける (makeru)	あきらめる (akirameru)
Core meaning	To lose (a competition / contest)	To give up / accept defeat mentally
Requires an opponent?	Usually yes	No — you can give up alone
Result	External — you lost the game/match	Internal — you stopped trying
Word type	う-verb (Group 1)	る-verb (Group 2)
Kanji	負ける	諦める (often written in hiragana)
Negative form	負けない (won’t lose)	あきらめない (won’t give up)
JLPT level	N4	N3

負ける (makeru) — To Lose

負ける means to lose in a competition, match, game, fight, or contest. It is the opposite of 勝つ (katsu, to win). Critically, 負ける requires something to lose against — a game, another person, or an opposing force. You cannot 負ける against nothing.

Note: 負ける can also be used metaphorically — for example, losing to temptation (誘惑に負ける) or losing to the cold (寒さに負ける). In these cases, the “opponent” is an abstract force.

Example 1 — losing a sports game:

昨日の試合で負けてしまった。
Kinou no shiai de makete shimatta.
I ended up losing yesterday’s match.

Example 2 — losing to a stronger opponent:

チャンピオンには負けたくない。
Chanpion ni wa maketakunai.
I don’t want to lose to the champion.

Example 3 — metaphorical use (losing to temptation):

ケーキの誘惑に負けた。
Keeki no yuuwaku ni maketa.
I gave in to the temptation of cake. (Literally: I lost to the temptation of cake.)

Yuka

That makes sense! So 負ける is about… okay, I think I’m starting to get it.

Rei

You’re getting it! And the more you practice using 負ける in sentences, the more automatic it becomes. Language learning is all about repetition.

あきらめる (akirameru) — To Give Up

あきらめる means to give up — to mentally accept that something is not going to happen and stop trying. It does not require a competition or an opponent. You can あきらめる on a dream, a relationship, a difficult task, or a goal. The word often carries a sense of resignation or acceptance of an unfavorable reality.

The phrase あきらめないで (akiramenai de, “don’t give up”) is extremely common in encouraging someone — you will hear it in sports, school, and motivational contexts.

Example 1 — giving up on a dream:

夢をあきらめたくない。
Yume wo akirametakunai.
I don’t want to give up on my dream.

Example 2 — encouraging someone not to quit:

あきらめないで！もう少しだよ。
Akiramenai de! Mou sukoshi da yo.
Don’t give up! You’re almost there.

Example 3 — accepting that something is hopeless:

もうあきらめた方がいいかもしれない。
Mou akirameta hou ga ii kamoshirenai.
Maybe it’s better to give up now.

Yuka

Alright. And now explain あきらめる? I want to make sure I have both down.

Rei

Sure! あきらめる is actually the easier one to remember once you have a clear mental image. Let’s look at the examples.

Side-by-Side: When to Use Which

Situation	負ける (makeru)	あきらめる (akirameru)
You lost a soccer match	✓ 試合に負けた	✗ (no quitting involved)
You stopped practicing guitar	✗ (no opponent)	✓ ギターをあきらめた
You gave in to eating junk food	✓ 誘惑に負けた (metaphor)	あきらめた (also possible)
You stopped running in a race	✗ (you didn’t finish — use やめた or棄権)	✓ あきらめた
Your team lost the championship	✓ 優勝を逃した / 負けた	✗
You gave up hope of getting a promotion	✗	✓ 昇進をあきらめた

Important: 負ける Can Also Mean a Discount

In shopping contexts, 負ける has a completely different meaning: it means to give a discount or reduce the price. When a vendor 負けてくれる, they are “yielding” to the buyer and lowering the price. This usage is most common at markets, flea markets, and negotiation settings.

少し負けてもらえますか？
Sukoshi makete moraemasu ka?
Could you give me a small discount?

Decision Flowchart: 負ける or あきらめる?

Are you expressing a negative outcome or giving up?
        |
        v
Is there a COMPETITION, OPPONENT, or GAME involved?
   |                        |
  YES                       NO
   |                        |
   v                        v
Did the RESULT show       Did you STOP TRYING
you were the loser?       or accept failure?
   |                          |
   v                          v
負ける (makeru)            あきらめる (akirameru)
"to lose"                 "to give up"