限る
Meaning in Englishlimit, restrict, be limited
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
Limit is a transitive verb that means to set a boundary or cap on something, restricting its extent, scope, or applicability; it conveys that only a certain range or group is allowed or considered.
Main meanings
- to set a limit or boundary on something, controlling extent or scope
- to restrict actions, choices, or permissions
- to be limited to a particular category or condition, as in phrases like 日本人に限る
How to use it
Used as a transitive verb meaning to limit or confine something; in formal writing and policy contexts it appears with を to mark the direct object or with に限る to indicate exclusivity; casual speech uses variants and related phrases to express constraints or boundaries without changing the core meaning.
Variants and close terms
- 限定する (gentei suru) — to limit or confine to a subset
- 制限する (seigen suru) — to restrict
- 開放する (kaihō suru) — to open up or relax restrictions
- 許す (yurusu) — to permit (antonym in many contexts)
Composition
- 限: boundary, limit, edge — the core idea of drawing a line or setting a constraint
- る: verb-ending suffix that turns the stem into a verb
Etymology
kun'yomi かぎる, on'yomi ゲン; derived from the kanji 限 with a native verb suffix, the pronunciation remains stable and is mainly used in isolation as a native verb, while the on-reading appears in compounds.
Word class
verb (五段動詞)