If you're a long-time subscriber to these lessons, then you've seen the verb つける quite a few times.

For example, we saw how to say "turn on the light" using つける in this lesson: [NDL #93] - Shall I help you?

And we saw how to "be careful" using つける in this lesson: [NDL #173] - The Key to Using 気.

Verbs like つける are kind of a nightmare to learn because they just have so many meanings.

I mean, look at these dictionary entries:

付ける (Also written as 着ける)
つける
(1) to attach; to join; to add; to append; to affix; to stick; to glue; to fasten; to sew on; to apply (ointment)
(2) to furnish (a house with)
(3) to wear; to put on
(4) to keep a diary; to make an entry
(5) to appraise; to set (a price)
(6) to allot; to budget; to assign
(7) to bring alongside
(8) to place (under guard or doctor)
(9) to follow; to shadow
(10) to load; to give (courage to)
(11) to keep (an eye on)
(12) to establish (relations or understanding)
(13) to turn on (light)
(14) (of a plant) to produce flowers; to produce fruit

就ける
つける
(1) to install (a king, emperor, etc.)
(2) to appoint (to a post); to promote
(3) to assign (to study under)

尾ける
つける
to hunt a spy; to put a tail on someone; to stalk

漬ける (Also written as 浸ける)
つける
(1) to soak; to seep; to dip in
(2) to pickle

点ける
つける
to turn on; to switch on; to light up

<(*_*)> Ow, my brain.

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Looking at that long list of dictionary entries, it is tempting to just give up and forget this whole language-learning business, yeah?

Before you do, though, I'd like you to consider two points.

First, know that we learn different meanings and uses of words as we go. It's not like you need to learn all of those meanings all at once. That would suck! And it would be especially hard without the proper context.

Second, consider how many meanings some of our English words have. For example, this dictionary lists 30 meanings for the verb "to get," and that's not even including phrasal verbs like "get ahead," "get at," "get away," etc.

It's not that Japanese is hard. The problem is that we humans have a bad tendency to use the same words in countless ways.

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In this lesson, we're looking at just one unique usage of つける.

Specifically, we're looking at what ～つける sometimes means when it attaches to the end of other verbs.

This Japanese dictionary lists the meaning of ～つける we're looking at today as:

相手に対してなされる行為の勢いが激しい意味を表す。
あいて　にたいして　なされる　こうい　の　いきおい　が　はげしい　いみ　を　あらわす。
Used to express increased intensity of an action done to someone.
Literally: “other party + towards + is done + action + の + force + が + intense + meaning + を + expresses.”

Generally speaking, ～つける tends to add a negative nuance to a verb. You're putting the action of the verb "onto" or "at" a person. You will find that this is somewhat similar to how we occasionally use the prepositions "on" or "at" with verbs.

Consider:

I threw the water bottle to her.
→ I threw the water bottle at her.

Of course, ～つける will not always nicely get translated into "on" or "at," but thinking of it this way has helped me a bit.

With that, I think it's time to get into some examples.

Note that every verb with ～つける attached to the end of it in this lesson is common enough that it will have its own entry in Japanese dictionaries.

That is, we're not creating these verbs using ～つける. These are common verbs that already exist.

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送る（おくる // to send）
送りつける（おくりつける // to send）

たくさんメールを送りつけてごめんね。
たくさん　メール　を　おくりつけて　ごめん　ね。
Sorry for sending you so many emails.
Literally: “many + e-mails + を + send (on to you) (and) + sorry + ね.”

My editor sometimes writes sentences like this in emails to me. In English, the verb "sending" would not change whether we were "sending" one nice email to a friend or "sending" an overwhelming barrage of work-related emails (which is what I wake up to pretty much every morning).

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投げる（なげる // to throw）
投げつける（なげつける // to throw at [and hit]）

空のペットボトルを彼の顔に投げつけた。
から　の　ペットボトル　を　かれ　の　かお　に　なげつけた。
I (threw and) hit him in the face with an empty water bottle.
Literally: “empty + の + water bottle (=PET bottle) + を + he + の + face + に + threw at”

I learned this word from Rei, actually. I tossed her a water bottle once on one of our earlier dates. She didn't see it coming, and it hit her in the face. It appeared to have hurt a lot, and I felt really bad. She quickly accused me of 投げつける-ing that bottle at her face.

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押す（おす // to push; to press）
押しつける（おしつける // to push; to press; to impose on）

面倒な仕事を押しつけられた。
めんどう　な　しごと　を　おしつけられた。
I got an annoying job forced on me.
Literally: “troublesome + job / work + を + were pushed onto (me).”

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Maybe I should have mentioned this earlier in the lesson, but note that ～つける is attaching to the ます-stem of verbs.

For example:

送る（おくる）
→ 送ります（おくります）
→ → 送り-（おくり-）
→ → → 送りつける（おくりつける）

投げる（なげる）
→ 投げます（なげます）
→ → 投げ-（なげ-)
→ → → 投げつける（なげつける）

We saw all of these verbs above, so don't try telling me that you don't know what they mean.

Also, maybe work on being able to read them with kanji and not relying entirely on the hiragana breakdowns.

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なする（to smear on; to rub in; to lay the blame on）
なすりつける（to rub on; to rub against; to lay the blame on）

自分の罪を人になすりつけるな。
じぶん　の　つみ　を　ひと　に　なすりつけるな。
Don’t try to lay the blame on someone else.
Literally: “oneself + の + wrongdoing / fault + を + person + に + lay the lame on + な.”
Note: That な at the end of the sentence is what makes this sentence into a command.

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叱る（しかる // to scold; to rebuke）
叱りつける（しかりつける // to scold; to rebuke）

嘘をついた娘を叱りつけた。
うそ　を　ついた　むすめ　を　しかりすけた。
I harshly scolded my daughter for lying.
Literally: “told a lie + daughter + を + rebuked / scolded harshly.”

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All of the ～つける verbs we saw above had the nuance of making a VERB's action more intense or forceful.

But sometimes ～つける simply changes the meaning of a verb completely. Some examples follow...

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言う（いう // to say）
言いつける（いいつける // to tell to do; to order; to tell on [someone]）

先生に言いつけてやる！
せんせい　に　いいつけて　やる！
I’m gonna tell on you to the teacher!
Literally: “sensei + に + tell on (you) (and) + do!”
Note: Ending a verb with ～てやる is often done to emphasize that you are doing something. It's rude, so use it with caution.

部下に用事を言いつけた。
ぶか　に　ようじ　を　いいつけた。
I told one of my subordinates to do my errands.
Literally: “subordinate (person) + に + errand + を + told to do.”

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駆ける（かける // to rush; to dash）
駆けつける（かけつける // to run to; to come running; to rush [somewhere]）

知らせを聞いて、急いで病院に駆けつけた。
しらせ　を　きいて、　いそいで　びょういん　に　かけつけた。
I rushed to the hospital as soon as I heard.
Literally: “news / word + を + hear (and), + hurriedly + hospital + に + rushed to / ran to.”

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Are you starting to get a sense for how ～つける can change the nuance of a verb?

Next time you hear ～つける attach to a verb, try to imagine how its nuance might be changing.