増える・殖える|ふえるfueru[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
増える増える is the more common written form and the recommended choice for beginners; use it when you need to write this verb.
殖える殖える is a less common written variant of 増える; beginners should recognize it as an alternative but generally choose 増える instead.
Definitions
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbto increase; to multiply殖える usu. refers to population growth or capital appreciation
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 増える（ふえる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 増えます（ふえます） |
| Negative (nai) | 増えない（ふえない） |
| polite (masen) | 増えません（ふえません） |
| classical zu / nu | 増えず・増えぬ（ふえず・ふえぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 増えた（ふえた） |
| polite (mashita) | 増えました（ふえました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 増えなかった（ふえなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 増えませんでした（ふえませんでした） |
| Te form | 増えて（ふえて） |
| Potential | 増えられる（ふえられる） |
| Passive | 増えられる（ふえられる） |
| Causative | 増えさせる（ふえさせる） |
| Causative passive | 増えさせられる（ふえさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 増えれば（ふえれば） |
| tara | 増えたら（ふえたら） |
| Volitional | 増えよう（ふえよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 増えましょう（ふえましょう） |
| Imperative | 増えろ（ふえろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
人数が増える
人数を増やす
増える focuses on the event or resulting state, as in 人数が増える; 増やす foregrounds an agent acting on something, as in 人数を増やす.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym増加ぞうかWrittenA formal Sino-Japanese word for a rise in quantity, typical of statistics and news, as in 「人口が増加する」; more formal than 「増える」.
- Synonym増すますWrittenCovers increases in quantity or degree, as in 「人気が増す」; leans toward written style and can also be used transitively, unlike intransitive 「増える」.
- Synonym増殖ぞうしょくWrittenMultiplication of organisms or cells, as in 「細菌が増殖する」; also figurative for spreading. Not a general stand-in for 「増える」.
- Synonym増大ぞうだいWrittenAn increase in scale or magnitude, as in 「負担が増大する」; stresses something growing bigger overall rather than a count going up.
- SynonymアップCasualA loanword abbreviation for a rise or boost, common in advertising, as in 「売上UP」; casual and punchy rather than neutral prose.
- Related繁殖はんしょくWrittenBreeding and reproduction of living things, as in 「繁殖期」; restricted to organisms, so it cannot replace 「増える」 for numbers in general.
- Related膨らむふくらむNeutralTo bulge or swell, or for scale to expand, as in 「夢が膨らむ」; looser and more figurative than 「増える」.
- Related膨張ぼうちょうWrittenExpansion in volume or scale, as in 「都市の膨張」; a written word for things growing bigger, not just more numerous.
- Related膨れるふくれるCasualTo puff or swell out, but also to sulk and pout, as in 「ふくれっ面」; only the swelling sense touches 「増える」.
- Related伸びるのびるNeutralUsed for results, scores or sales growing; pictures growth as something extending further, rather than a count of things simply going up.
- Related拡大かくだいWrittenExpansion of scope or scale, as in 「規模を拡大する」; about area or range widening, not merely numbers increasing.
- Related発展はってんWrittenDevelopment toward a higher stage, as in 「経済の発展」; about progress and growing strength, not a simple rise in quantity.
- Related高まるたかまるWrittenFor degrees rising, such as emotions or atmosphere, as in 「期待が高まる」; heightens intensity rather than increasing numbers.
- Related上がるあがるNeutralFor values rising, as in 「物価が上がる」; stresses moving upward, and the word covers many other senses of going up.
- Related広がるひろがるNeutralFor ranges spreading out, as in 「噂が広がる」; stresses area and reach expanding rather than numbers growing.
- Related増進ぞうしんWrittenAn increase in physical strength or ability, as in 「食欲増進」; limited to promoting health, ability and the like.
- Related増やすふやすNeutralTransitive, for making quantities increase; the intransitive 「増える」 is for numbers growing on their own.
- Related膨れ上がるふくれあがるCasualTo balloon or swell up hugely, as in 「借金が膨れ上がる」; carries a sense of growth getting out of control.
- RelatedかさむWrittenFor expenses piling up, as in 「出費がかさむ」; suggests an accumulating burden rather than neutral growth.
- Antonym減るへるNeutralThe direct antonym: numbers or amounts getting smaller, as in 「体重が減る」.
- Antonym減少するWrittenThe written, statistics-style antonym: a drop in quantity, as opposed to 「増える」.
For numbers growing on their own, 「増える」 is the everyday default; to make them grow, use the transitive 「増やす」. Formal statistics and news writing prefer 「増加」. Living things multiply with 「増殖」 or 「繁殖」; scale or scope expands with 「拡大」 or 「増大」; runaway growth is 「膨れ上がる」. For a decrease, the antonym is 「減る」 (formal: 「減少する」). The rest overlap only in narrower senses: 「高まる」 for rising degrees, 「上がる」 for rising values, 「広がる」 for spread, 「伸びる」 for sales, 「かさむ」 for costs.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
- 数や量が多くなる。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
