足りる

• Reading: たりる
• Romaji: tariru
• Kanji breakdown: 足 (soku/ta/ashi) — foot, sufficient, enough
• Pronunciation: /ta.ɾi.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To be sufficient; to be enough; to be adequate for a purpose.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Most commonly used in the negative form 足りない (not enough). Takes が to mark what is insufficient: お金が足りない (not enough money), 時間が足りない (not enough time). The related expression 足りている means 'there is enough.'

Examples

1. お金が足りなくて買えませんでした。 I didn't have enough money so I couldn't buy it.
2. 五人分の料理は足りますか。 Is there enough food for five people?
3. 時間が足りないので急ぎましょう。 We don't have enough time, so let's hurry.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, shopping, time management

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 足 originally depicted a foot and knee, representing the leg. The meaning extended from 'foot' to 'sufficient' — the idea of having enough to stand on.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal