増す

• Reading: ます
• Romaji: masu
• Kanji breakdown: 増 (zou/ma) — increase, add, augment
• Pronunciation: /ma.sɯ/

Meaning

To increase; to gain; to grow. Used for quantities, qualities, or intensities becoming greater.

A Group 1 (godan) verb that functions as both transitive and intransitive. Intransitive: 水かさが増す (the water level rises). Transitive: 勢いを増す (to gain momentum). Often used with abstract qualities: 重要性を増す (to gain importance). More literary than 増える and favoured in written or news-style Japanese.

Examples

1. 台風が近づいて風の勢いが増してきた。 As the typhoon approached, the wind grew stronger.
2. 年を重ねるごとに経験の価値が増す。 With each passing year, the value of experience increases.
3. 新しいメンバーが入ってチームの活気を増した。 New members joined and boosted the team's energy.

Usage Guide

Context: news, descriptions, writing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the kanji 増 (zou/ma, to increase). The native Japanese reading masu has been used since classical times to express growth or amplification.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal