滅ぶ

• Reading: ほろぶ
• Romaji: horobu
• Kanji breakdown: 滅 (horo/metsu) — to perish, destroy, extinguish
• Pronunciation: /ho.ɾo.bɯ/

Meaning

To perish; to be destroyed; to fall to ruin; to die out. An alternative form of 滅びる with a more classical, literary flavour.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb. Functionally synonymous with 滅びる but conjugates as a godan verb. Slightly more archaic in register and favoured in literary or dramatic contexts. Both forms are used interchangeably in modern Japanese, though 滅びる is more common in everyday usage.

Examples

1. 国が滅んだ後も人々の記憶は残った。 Even after the nation fell, the memories of its people lived on.
2. 悪が栄えて善が滅ぶことがあってはならない。 It must never be the case that evil prospers while good perishes.
3. 恐竜が滅んだ原因は隕石だと言われている。 It is said that the dinosaurs died out because of a meteorite.

Usage Guide

Context: history, literature, philosophy

Tone: literary

Origin & History

Variant of 滅びる. The shorter godan form 滅ぶ preserves an older conjugation pattern. Both derive from the same root meaning 'to be extinguished.'

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal