1To put or place something somewhere (to set down or position it).
机の上に本を置いた。
I put the book on the desk.
花瓶を窓辺に置いてください。
Please place the vase by the window.
荷物を玄関に置いてから部屋に入った。
I left my luggage at the entrance and then went into the room.
2To leave something behind (to forget an item, or leave it at a place).
カギを家に置いてきてしまった。
I left my keys at home.
レストランに財布を置き忘れたことに気づいた。
I realized I had left my wallet at the restaurant.
3To establish or locate an organization, facility, or office (to set up headquarters, a branch, etc.).
支社を京都に置くことに決めた。
We decided to locate the branch office in Kyoto.
国際本部を大阪に置く予定だ。
They plan to establish the international headquarters in Osaka.
4To appoint or place someone in a position; to hire or employ them.
彼を部長に置くのは適切ではないと感じた。
I felt it was not appropriate to appoint him as department manager.
会社は有能な人材を要所に置いている。
The company places capable personnel in key positions.
5To place (one's trust, expectations, or importance) on something — to rely on it or treat it as a priority.
私は彼に大きな期待を置いている。
I place great expectations on him.
このプロジェクトでは安全性を最優先に置くべきだ。
Safety should be given top priority in this project.
6To put a tool down (e.g., a pen), i.e., to stop what one was doing with it — to cease or pause an activity.
試験が終わったらペンを置いてください。
When the exam is over, please put your pen down.
仕事に飽きたので筆を置いて散歩に出た。
Getting tired of the work, he put his pen down and went for a walk.
7To take someone in, lodge them, or provide boarding — to house someone (a somewhat dated or formal usage).
うちでは夏の間、学生を一人置いていた。
We took in one student at our house during the summer.
古い下宿屋はまだ数人を置いている。
The old boarding house still houses a few people.
8To separate spatially or temporally; to leave a gap or interval (e.g., to space things out or wait a period before doing something).
鉄球は一定の間隔を置いて並べられている。
The iron balls are arranged with regular intervals between them.
作業と作業の間に少し時間を置いたほうがいい。
It's better to leave a little time between tasks.
9As an auxiliary verb following the -te form, used in the pattern '〜ておく' to indicate doing something in advance as preparation.
明日のためにチケットを買っておく。
I'll buy the tickets in advance for tomorrow.
忘れないようにメモしておいてください。
Please make a note so you don't forget.
料理は先に作っておいて、食べる直前に温めると楽だ。
It's convenient to cook the food ahead of time and reheat it right before eating.
10As an auxiliary verb following the -te form, used in the pattern '〜ておく' to indicate leaving something as it is or keeping it in a certain state.
そのまま冷蔵庫に入れておいてください。
Please leave it in the refrigerator as it is.
部屋を散らかったままにしておかないで掃除して。
Don't leave the room messy — please clean it.