残る

• Reading: のこる
• Romaji: nokoru
• Kanji breakdown: 残 (zan/noko) — remain, left over, cruel
• Pronunciation: /no.ko.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To remain; to be left over; to stay behind. Describes what persists after others are gone.

A Group 1 (godan) verb. Intransitive — describes something remaining on its own. The transitive pair is 残す (nokosu, to leave behind). Used for leftover food, remaining time, memories that linger, and people staying behind.

Examples

1. お弁当が少し残っているから食べてね。 There's a little bit of your lunch left, so go ahead and eat it.
2. 仕事が残っているので先に帰ってください。 I still have work left to do, so please go on ahead.
3. あの映画は心に残る作品だった。 That movie was a work that really stayed with you.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, work, food

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 残 combines 歹 (bone/death) and 戔 (small/little), originally suggesting something left over after destruction. The meaning generalized to anything remaining.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal