The verb かかる kakaru is something you hear all the time in everyday Japanese.
Phrases like 「どれくらいかかりますか。」are familiar to everyone. But if you look closely, you’ll find that this single word is used in an astonishing variety of situations. In this article, we’ll explore the core image of kakaru and organize its uses, trivia, and even its etymology.
The Core Image
At its heart, かかる kakaru means “an outside force acts upon something.”
Whether it’s time or money being required, an engine starting, or an animal caught in a trap, all of these share the idea of “something being affected by an external force and reaching a state.”
Time, Money, and Effort
The most common use is “to be required” or “to be spent.”
- この仕事(しごと)は三時間(さんじかん)かかります。
(This job takes three hours.) - 旅行(りょこう)には十万円(じゅうまんえん)かかりました。
(The trip cost 100,000 yen.) - この料理(りょうり)は手間(てま)がかかる。
(This dish takes a lot of effort.) - 小(ちい)さな子どもは手(て)がかかります。
(Small children require a lot of care.)
The shared nuance is “something is consumed or needed.”
Machines and Tools
かかるkakaru also appears when something “starts working” or “is in operation.”
- 古(ふる)い車(くるま)なのでエンジンがなかなかかからない。
(The old car won’t start easily.) - ドアに鍵(かぎ)がかかっています。
(The door is locked.) - 友(とも)だちから電話(でんわ)がかかってきた。
(A call came in from a friend.) - 店内(てんない)にジャズがかかっている。
(Jazz is playing in the store.)
Here the key nuance is “a state begins or a function starts.”
Nature and Environment
かかる kakaru also describes being acted upon by natural forces or surroundings.
- 隣(となり)の家(いえ)に火(ひ)がかかった。
(The fire spread to the neighboring house.) - 船(ふね)に大(おお)きな波(なみ)がかかった。
(A big wave splashed onto the boat.) - この庭(にわ)には日(ひ)があまりかからない。
(The yard doesn’t get much sunlight.)
The shared image is “receiving outside influence.”
Being Caught or Affected
Another cluster of meanings comes from “being trapped” or “being affected unavoidably.”
- キツネが罠(わな)にかかった。
(A fox was caught in a trap.) - 大(おお)きな魚(さかな)が網(あみ)にかかった。
(A big fish got caught in the net.) - 風邪(かぜ)にかかる。
(Catch a cold.) - お姫様(ひめさま)に魔法(まほう)がかかる。
(A princess falls under a spell.)
The core nuance here is “to be seized by something you cannot escape.”
Figurative and Abstract Uses
The word also expands into figurative, abstract expressions.
- 試験(しけん)の結果(けっか)が気(き)にかかる。
(I’m worried about the exam results.) - このプロジェクトは私(わたし)の首(くび)がかかっている。
(This project has my job on the line.) - 命(いのち)がかかった手術(しゅじゅつ)。
(A life-threatening surgery.) - この事件(じけん)には多(おお)くの人(ひと)がかかっている。
(Many people are involved in this case.)
These emphasize seriousness or gravity.
Idiomatic Connections
- ご迷惑(めいわく)をおかけする／ご迷惑(めいわく)がかかる
( to cause trouble / to be troubled)
- 心配(心配)をかける／心配(心配)がかかる
( to cause worry / to be worried about)
The noun forms kakari (係 “person in charge”) and kakari (掛かり “relation, involvement”) come from the same root, connecting back to the idea of “being affected by something.”
Etymology and Trivia
- Kakaru comes from the classical word kakaru (掛かる), which originally meant “to be suspended from” or “to be caught on.”
- From this literal sense of “touching or hanging on something,” the meaning expanded to “being affected” or “being acted upon,” leading to the many uses we see today.
- An interesting case is 病気にかかるbyōki ni kakaru (“to catch an illness”), which is thought to derive from 罠にかかるwana ni kakaru (“to be caught in a trap”). Illness was metaphorically seen as something you get ensnared by.
- Another fun note: the phrase “Finally, my engine is starting「やっと、エンジンがかかってきた。」(yatto enjin ga kakatte kita) comes from the literal sense of an engine starting, but it’s now a common metaphor for “getting into gear” in sports or business.
Conclusion
On the surface, かかるkakaru looks like a simple verb. But in reality, it covers an incredible range of meanings—from time and money, to traps, illness, and even magic.
The unifying core is “being acted upon by an external force, leading to a state.”
In this sense, かかるkakaru is a perfect example of the richness and polysemy of the Japanese language.