芽吹く・芽ぶく|めぶくmebuku[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
芽吹く芽吹く is the more common of the two written forms; learners can use it as the default form when writing this verb.
芽ぶく芽ぶく is a less common written variant of the same verb. You may encounter it in writing, but beginners should choose 芽吹く instead.
Definitions
- godan verb, intransitive verbto bud
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 芽吹く（めぶく） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 芽吹きます（めぶきます） |
| Negative (nai) | 芽吹かない（めぶかない） |
| polite (masen) | 芽吹きません（めぶきません） |
| classical zu / nu | 芽吹かず・芽吹かぬ（めぶかず・めぶかぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 芽吹いた（めぶいた） |
| polite (mashita) | 芽吹きました（めぶきました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 芽吹かなかった（めぶかなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 芽吹きませんでした（めぶきませんでした） |
| Te form | 芽吹いて（めぶいて） |
| Potential | 芽吹ける（めぶける） |
| Passive | 芽吹かれる（めぶかれる） |
| Causative | 芽吹かせる（めぶかせる） |
| Causative passive | 芽吹かせられる・芽吹かされる（めぶかせられる・めぶかされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 芽吹けば（めぶけば） |
| tara | 芽吹いたら（めぶいたら） |
| Volitional | 芽吹こう（めぶこう） |
| polite (mashou) | 芽吹きましょう（めぶきましょう） |
| Imperative | 芽吹け（めぶけ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym芽生えるめばえるNeutralNeutral like 「芽吹く」; covers plants budding but is the more common choice for abstract uses such as feelings beginning to sprout.
- Synonym萌芽ほうがWrittenWritten register; a noun for things just starting to show their first signs, more figurative than 「芽吹く」, which is a verb for actual budding.
- Synonym萌えるもえるNeutralNeutral; like 「芽吹く」 for plants bursting into bud, but in modern usage it also means to be infatuated — a slang sense 「芽吹く」 does not have.
- Synonym発芽はつがWrittenWritten register; the botanical term for germination — seeds or spores sprouting once warmth and moisture are right. The default word for seeds coming up.
- Synonym生えるはえるNeutralNeutral and much broader; covers plants, hair and teeth growing or coming in, while 「芽吹く」 is specifically about buds appearing.
- Synonym萌え出すもえだすNeutralNeutral and very close to 「芽吹く」; stresses young buds just starting to push out, and the two are largely interchangeable.
- Synonym萌え出るもえでるWrittenWritten and rare; like 「芽吹く」 in describing young buds emerging, but confined to written prose.
- Related兆すきざすWrittenWritten; centers on signs of something about to appear — an omen or early indication — though it can also describe buds starting to sprout.
- Related出芽しゅつがWrittenWritten; a botanical term for the budding phenomenon, where new buds form on a plant's body — technical, not a general word for spring budding.
- Related萌え立つもえたつWrittenWritten and rare; focuses on new leaves coming out — bursting into leaf — rather than buds appearing.
- Antonym枯れるかれるNeutralThe antonym: plants withering and dying, losing their vitality — the opposite of 「芽吹く」 putting out new buds.
For trees and plants putting out buds in spring, say 「芽吹く」, as in 「木々が芽吹く」. 「芽生える」 works too and is the usual pick when feelings begin to sprout; for seeds germinating use 「発芽」. 「萌芽」 and 「兆す」 belong to written prose, and 「枯れる」 is the opposite.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
