直す【なおす】

The verb なおす直す (なおす) has two main uses: as a standalone verb meaning "to fix" or "to repair," and as a compound verb suffix attached to the stem of another verb to mean "to do something over again" or "to redo."

Standalone verb: to fix / to repair

When used on its own, なおす直す means to fix, repair, or correct something that is broken or wrong.

Compound verb suffix: to redo / to do again

This is the more important grammar usage at this level. By attaching なおす直す to the masu-stem of another verb, you express the idea of doing that action over again, usually because the first attempt was unsatisfactory or incorrect.

Structure: V[stem] + 直す

• かく書く → 書き + 直す → 書き直す (to rewrite)
• やる → やり + 直す → やり直す (to redo)
• つくる作る → 作り + 直す → 作り直す (to remake)
• かんがえる考える → 考え + 直す → 考え直す (to reconsider / rethink)

The nuance of ～直す is not simply doing something again (for which もう一度～する is used), but rather redoing it to get a better result – correcting, improving, or starting over. For example, よみなおす読み直す implies rereading something because you missed something or want to understand it better, whereas もう一度読む simply means reading it one more time.

Since 直す is a godan (う-verb), the compound form conjugates as a regular godan verb:

• 書き直す → 書き直した (past) → 書き直さない (negative) → 書き直します (polite)