How to say "growth" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 成長せいちょうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe default word for growth: children, plants, and animals growing, economies expanding, people maturing. Covers both physical growing and the sense of growing up or becoming an adult.
- 発展はってんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbGrowth as expansion and progress: cities, industries, companies, or economies developing and growing larger. It suggests advancing to a bigger scale rather than organic growing, so it is not the word for a child or plant growing.
- 増加ぞうかnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbGrowth as a rise in quantity: numbers, amounts, or rates going up, as with population or sales. When English 'growth' simply means an increase, this is the word; it never means growing up.
- 発達はったつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbGrowth as development of capabilities: the mind, body, senses, or skills maturing and becoming more capable, as in a child's physical or mental development. Less about size or numbers than about function.
- nounThe noun of the verb 伸びる: growth as measured progress, how far something has grown or improved. As a standalone rendering of 'growth' it is marginal; 成長 or 増加 is usually what you want.
Use 成長 for growing in size or maturity, 発展 for expansion and progress, 増加 for growth in numbers, 発達 for development of mind and abilities, and 「のび」 for the degree of improvement.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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