控える

verb (ichidan)ひかえる · hikaeru

1. Englishto be temperate in; to refrain; to abstain; to hold back

   • あなたは喫煙をひかえるべきです。You should refrain from smoking.

2. Englishto make notes; to jot down (e.g. phone number)

   • 先生は生徒たちにそれらの単語をノートに控えておくよう指示した。The teacher told the pupils to write those words down in their notebooks.

3. Englishto be in preparation for; to be in waiting for

   • 彼女は入試を控えて神経質になっていた。She was nervous before the entrance exam.

4. Englishto be soon; to be in the offing

5. Englishto be in a close relationship (e.g. as a backer, etc.)

   • あの小売店のバックにはもっと大きな会社がひかえています。The small retail outlet is only a front for a much larger entity.

Source: JMdict (EDRDG) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (EDRDG)