延びる
Meaning in Englishto be prolonged
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
延びる means to become longer or to extend, describing the progression of length or duration in objects, lines, events, or plans; it conveys a sense of growth or postponement over time or space in natural Japanese usage.
Main meanings
- to extend or lengthen in space or time
- to become longer or taller through growth
- to be postponed or delayed, causing a schedule or plan to run longer than planned
- to spread or expand across an area or period
How to use it
Used in both formal and casual contexts to describe extension of time, delays, or physical lengthening. It is used for events, projects, and distances, emphasizing gradual progression toward a longer state; in everyday speech, more concrete verbs may be preferred for everyday growth, while 延びる often appears in discussions of schedules, deadlines, and gradual changes.
Variants and close terms
- 伸びる (nobiru) — synonym for lengthening or growth; more often used for physical growth
- 長くなる (nagaku naru) — become longer, applicable to time or distance
- 延長する (enchō suru) — to extend something (transitive), for deadlines or durations
- 延びる vs 伸びる — kanji variation with nuanced usage: 延びる leans toward extension over time or space; 伸びる toward physical growth or elongation
Composition
- 延: to extend, delay, or prolong; the concept of making something larger in time or space
- びる: okurigana that turns the stem into an intransitive verb meaning to become or to grow
Etymology
延びる traces its pronunciation from the classical verb 延ぶ (のぶ) meaning to extend, with the -びる suffix forming the modern intransitive verb that expresses becoming extended.
Word class
verb (ichidan)