Definition
To choose or select something from a group of options.
Example
どのケーキを選びますか？
Show translation
Which cake will you choose?
Etymology
From Old Japanese 選ぶ (*erabu). The root *era- is shared with 選り (えり, "selection, picking"), and appears in compounds such as 選挙 (せんきょ, "election") via the Sino-Japanese reading せん. The verb belongs to the Godan (五段) conjugation class, inflecting as: 選ば・選び・選ぶ・選べ・選ぼ.
Cultural note
In Japanese consumer culture, the act of choosing carefully is prized — there is a subtle social expectation to take time and deliberate before selecting (e.g., a gift, a dish, a career). The related noun 選択 (せんたく) is widely used in formal and academic contexts, while 選ぶ itself covers everyday situations. Note: don't confuse 選ぶ (erabu, "to choose") with the unrelated 洗濯 (せんたく, "laundry"), which sounds identical to the noun form 選択 — a classic learner pitfall!