auxiliary N1 uncommon written
〜びる — to take on the quality of ~
〜びる ・ びる
Meaning
- to take on the look or quality of ~ — a gradual, natural change, often through age or wear
Key sentence
彼女は年より大人びて見える。
She looks more grown-up than her age.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + びる → ichidan verb | 大人びる、古びる |
When: A small fixed set, not productive; mostly 大人びる, 古びる, 田舎びる.
Examples
この机はすっかり古びてしまった。
This desk has become completely worn with age.
田舎びた小さな駅に降り立った。
I got off at a small, rustic-looking station.
Easily confused with
〜ぶる びる is a natural quality something gradually acquires (古びる happens on its own); ぶる is a deliberate pose someone puts on (偉ぶる 'act important'). 〜めく めく = merely 'show signs of / a touch of' a quality (春めく); びる = actually come to have that quality, more fully and lastingly. 〜っぽい っぽい is the everyday 'looks like / -ish' on almost any base; びる is a fixed literary verb-forming suffix for a quality settled in over time.
Notes
- Describes an involuntary change — a thing or person comes to look a certain way; you don't 〜びる something on purpose.
See 〜びる in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜びる the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.