増やす・殖やす|ふやすfuyasu[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
増やす増やす is the most common written form. Beginners should use 増やす when writing this word.
殖やす殖やす is a rarely used written form. You may encounter it, but 増やす is the better choice for beginners.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto increase; to add to; to augment
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 増やす（ふやす） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 増やします（ふやします） |
| Negative (nai) | 増やさない（ふやさない） |
| polite (masen) | 増やしません（ふやしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 増やさず・増やさぬ（ふやさず・ふやさぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 増やした（ふやした） |
| polite (mashita) | 増やしました（ふやしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 増やさなかった（ふやさなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 増やしませんでした（ふやしませんでした） |
| Te form | 増やして（ふやして） |
| Potential | 増やせる（ふやせる） |
| Passive | 増やされる（ふやされる） |
| Causative | 増やさせる（ふやさせる） |
| Causative passive | 増やさせられる（ふやさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 増やせば（ふやせば） |
| tara | 増やしたら（ふやしたら） |
| Volitional | 増やそう（ふやそう） |
| polite (mashou) | 増やしましょう（ふやしましょう） |
| Imperative | 増やせ（ふやせ） |
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 emphasizes the event or resulting state, while 増やす foregrounds the agent acting on something; compare 人数が増える and 人数を増やす.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym増すますWrittenWritten/formal; works both intransitively and transitively, mostly for degrees as in 「重みを増す」. 「増やす」 focuses on increasing quantity.
- Synonym増加ぞうかWrittenA written/formal noun for increases in quantity, as in 「人口増加」; 「増やす」 is the everyday verb.
- Synonym増大ぞうだいNeutralFor growth in scale or degree, as in 「負担が増大する」; 「増やす」 is about quantity.
- Synonym加えるくわえるNeutralMeans to add or put something in, as in 「砂糖を加える」; 「増やす」 is about making the total larger.
- Synonym増強ぞうきょうNeutralFor strengthening troops, equipment, physical strength and the like, as in 「体力を増強する」; 「増やす」 covers quantity only.
- SynonymあげるNeutralRaises prices, status, quality and the like; 「増やす」 is about making the quantity larger.
- SynonymアップNeutralA loanword for an increase or boost, common in business and ads, as in 「売上アップ」; for a more formal tone use 「増加」 or 「向上」.
- Synonym加増かぞうWrittenWritten/formal for an increase, especially of stipend or territory in premodern times; for ordinary increases in quantity use 「増やす」.
- Related増えるふえるNeutralIntransitive: the quantity grows, whether naturally or through someone's action. 「増やす」 is transitive: someone or something makes the amount go up.
- Related引き上げるひきあげるNeutralPulls something up, raises prices or tax rates, and can mean withdrawing; 「増やす」 is about quantity.
- Related押し上げるおしあげるNeutralPushes something up or boosts it, as in 「株価を押し上げる」; 「増やす」 increases the quantity itself.
- Related高めるたかめるNeutralRaises the degree or level of something, as in 「意識を高める」; 「増やす」 is about quantity.
- Antonym減らすへらすNeutralAntonym on the increase–decrease axis: to reduce or lessen an amount.
- Antonym削るけずるNeutralAntonym on the increase–decrease axis: to cut budgets, staff and the like.
Use 「増やす」 when someone or something makes a quantity go up; to say the amount itself grows, use the intransitive 「増える」. In written prose, 「増加」 is the standard choice. For degrees use 「増す」 or 「高める」, for strengthening troops or equipment 「増強」; the antonyms are 「減らす」 and 「削る」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
- 量などを多くする。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
