Meaning and Usage
The verb 進める (すすめる) primarily means "to advance," "to promote," or "to hasten." It is a transitive verb used when someone actively moves something forward, whether it be a project, an idea, or a process.
Common Contexts
You will often hear 進める in business or project settings where progress needs to be made. It also appears in everyday contexts like encouraging someone to proceed or to speed up recovery.
Collocations and Patterns
- プロジェクトを進める: to advance a project
- 計画を進める: to promote or carry out a plan
- 仕事を進める: to proceed with work
- 早く進める: to hasten or speed up
Register and Politeness
進める is a neutral verb suitable for both formal and informal contexts. It is often used in polite speech when combined with ます form (進めます).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 進める with 進む (すすむ), which is intransitive and means "to advance" or "to progress" by itself. Remember, 進める requires a direct object that is being advanced or promoted.