伸びる

• Reading: のびる
• Romaji: nobiru
• Kanji breakdown: 伸 (nobiru/shin) — grow, extend, stretch
• Pronunciation: /no.bi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To grow; to extend; to stretch. Also means to make progress or to be prolonged.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb, the intransitive pair of 伸ばす (to stretch/extend). Describes natural growth or extension: plants growing (草が伸びる), abilities improving (成績が伸びる), time being extended (会議が伸びる), and physical stretching. Also used for food going limp (麺が伸びる, noodles getting soggy).

Examples

1. 春になると庭の草がどんどん伸びる。 When spring comes, the grass in the garden grows rapidly.
2. 毎日練習したら記録がだいぶ伸びた。 After practicing every day, my records improved considerably.
3. 会議が予定より一時間も伸びてしまった。 The meeting ran a whole hour longer than planned.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, education, nature

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 伸 combines 亻(person radical) and 申 (to extend), depicting a person stretching or growing taller.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal