〜びる

Look Like/become

Level 5Sounds Like biru

The suffix 〜びる is used to indicate that a person or object has acquired the characteristics or 'air' of the base word. It is most commonly seen in specific words like 大人びる (to look mature) or 古びる (to look old).

How It Works

〜びる is an advanced suffix (JLPT N1 level) used to form verbs from nouns or adjective stems. It describes a state where something has taken on a particular character or atmosphere.

1. Usage and Nuance:
It is not used for temporary states, but rather for qualities that seem to have developed naturally. For example, 大人びる (to look mature) is used when a child's behavior or appearance suggests they have grown up beyond their years. 古びた (old/worn) suggests an object has acquired the charm or wear of age.

2. Morphology:

  • Nouns: [Noun] + びる (e.g., 大人 + びる → 大人びる)
  • i-Adjectives: [Stem] + びる (e.g., 古い → 古 + びる → 古びる)

It conjugates as an Ichidan verb (る-verb). The past tense form 〜びた is very frequently used as a noun modifier.

3. Limited Scope:
While powerful, this pattern is not productive, meaning you cannot attach it to any word you like. It is restricted to a small set of traditional expressions. Common examples include:

  • 大人びる（おとなびる）: To look/act mature.
  • 古びる（ふるびる）: To look old/antique.
  • ひなびる: To be rustic/quaint (often used for countryside scenery).
  • 悪びれる（わるびれる）: To act timid or ashamed (usually used in the negative: 悪びれず - without shame).

Examples (4)

  1. 彼女はまだ１２歳だが、話し方がずいぶん大人びている。

    She is only 12 years old, but her way of speaking is quite mature.

    Word by Word: She as-for still 12-years-old is-but, way-of-speaking (subject) considerably mature-looking-is.

    Here, 大人びている describes a child who has taken on the characteristics of an adult.

  2. 祖父の蔵で、古びた地図を見つけた。

    I found an old-looking map in my grandfather's storehouse.

    Word by Word: Grandfather's storehouse-in, old-looking map (object) found.

    古びた is the past tense form used to modify the noun 'map,' indicating it has the appearance of being old.

  3. その温泉街は、ひなびた雰囲気が魅力的だ。

    That hot spring town's rustic atmosphere is charming.

    Word by Word: That hot-spring-town as-for, rustic atmosphere (subject) charming is.

    ひなびた is a positive term used to describe the quaint, rustic charm of the countryside.

  4. 彼は嘘がバレても、全く悪びれる様子がなかった。

    Even when his lie was exposed, he showed no signs of being ashamed at all.

    Word by Word: He as-for lie (subject) be-exposed-even, at-all behave-ashamed appearance (subject) existed-not.

    悪びれる refers to showing signs of guilt or being intimidated. It is almost always used in the negative.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 〜びる to describe someone 'acting' like something they are not (pretending).

    彼は知らないのに、知っているような大人びた態度をとった。
    彼は知らないのに、知っているような大人ぶった態度をとった。

    大人びる is a neutral or positive observation of maturity. If you want to criticize someone for 'acting like a big shot' or pretending to be an adult, you must use 〜ぶる.

  • Over-generalizing the suffix to any noun.

    春びた風が吹いている。
    春めいた風が吹いている。

    〜びる only attaches to a very limited set of words. For seasonal changes or signs of something appearing, 〜めく is the correct choice.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

〜びるLevel 5Look Like/become

Learn This First

The pattern 〜びる is a suffix that turns nouns or adjective stems into verbs meaning 'to look like' or 'to behave like'. To understand it, you need to be familiar with basic verb conjugation (as it conjugates like a standard Ru-verb) and how Japanese uses suffixes to change the part of speech of a word.

Words in This Pattern

びる