直す

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 直す(なおす) is a transitive verb for repairing a broken object or correcting something that is wrong.
• Basic usage: Repairing an object appears in 椅子を直す, while correcting an error in writing appears in 作文の間違いを直す.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Repair and correction
  • It applies both to making a physical object usable again and to changing an error in writing into the correct form.
• Object and tool
  • Mark what is corrected with を; the form 赤い鉛筆で marks the tool with で.