生える

• Reading: はえる
• Romaji: haeru
• Kanji breakdown: 生 (haeru/sei) — life, grow, birth
• Pronunciation: /ha.e.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To grow; to spring up; to sprout. Used for plants growing and teeth coming in.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Describes natural growth from a surface: plants sprouting (草が生える), mushrooms appearing (きのこが生える), teeth coming in (歯が生える), and hair or beard growing (ひげが生える). Always implies something emerging from where it was not before. Different from 育つ (to grow up/be raised), which describes development over time.

Examples

1. 庭に雑草がたくさん生えてきた。 A lot of weeds have sprung up in the garden.
2. 赤ちゃんの歯が初めて生えた。 The baby's first tooth came in.
3. 古いパンにカビが生えているのを見つけた。 I found mold growing on the old bread.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, health, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 生 is one of the most productive kanji, meaning life, birth, and growth. The える ending creates the intransitive 'to grow/sprout' reading.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal