重なる

• Reading: かさなる
• Romaji: kasanaru
• Kanji breakdown: 重 (kasa/jū) — heavy, pile up, overlap
• Pronunciation: /ka.sa.na.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To be piled up; to lie on top of one another. Things overlapping or coinciding.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb ending in る. Describes things stacking on top of each other physically (papers, layers) or events coinciding in time (schedules overlapping, misfortunes piling up). Often used with 不幸が重なる (misfortunes pile up) or 予定が重なる (schedules overlap). Paired with the transitive form 重ねる.

Examples

1. 今月は予定が重なって忙しい。 This month my plans overlap and I'm really busy.
2. 机の上に書類が重なっていた。 Documents were piled up on the desk.
3. 悪いことが重なると気持ちが落ち込む。 When bad things pile up, it really gets you down.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, scheduling, emotions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the kanji 重 (jū/omo/kasa, heavy/pile) with the intransitive ending なる. The kanji depicts a heavy object being carried, suggesting layers of weight.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal