生やす

• Reading: はやす
• Romaji: hayasu
• Kanji breakdown: 生 (sei/ha) — life, grow, birth
• Pronunciation: /ha.ja.sɯ/

Meaning

To grow; to cultivate; to let grow. To allow hair, a beard, plants, or mould to develop.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb conjugated with the す row (生やさない, 生やします). The transitive counterpart of 生える (to grow naturally). Used for deliberately growing or letting something grow: ひげを生やす (to grow a beard), 芝生を生やす (to cultivate a lawn), カビを生やす (to let mould grow — often implies neglect). Versatile across personal grooming and gardening.

Examples

1. 父は最近ひげを生やし始めた。 My dad recently started growing a beard.
2. 庭に芝生を生やすのは意外と手間がかかる。 Growing a lawn in the yard is surprisingly labor-intensive.
3. 冷蔵庫の中にカビを生やしてしまった。 I accidentally let mold grow inside the refrigerator.

Usage Guide

Context: grooming, gardening, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 生 (sei/ha, life/to grow) and the transitive causative suffix やす. The kanji 生 depicts a plant sprouting from the earth, capturing the fundamental idea of growth.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal