Translation guide
The act or process of making something longer, or the state of being lengthened. In Japanese, the expression depends on what is being elongated (physical objects, time, sounds, etc.) and whether it is a natural process or an intentional action.
To make a physical object longer, or to describe it becoming longer.
Transitive verb meaning to stretch or lengthen something, like a rubber band, limbs, or hair.
Intransitive verb meaning to stretch or become longer, often naturally or automatically.
身長が伸びた。
I grew taller.
ゴムが伸びてしまった。
The rubber band has stretched out.
To extend something in length, often used for linear objects like cables, roads, or time periods. More formal than 伸ばす.
ケーブルを延長する。
Extend the cable.
To make a period of time longer, such as a deadline, meeting, or stay.
Commonly used for extending time limits, deadlines, or durations.
会議を30分延長する。
Extend the meeting by 30 minutes.
滞在を延長したい。
I'd like to extend my stay.
Similar to 延長する but slightly less formal. Often used for postponing or stretching out time.
The lengthening of a vowel or consonant sound in speech.
Technical term for vowel lengthening in phonetics.
日本語では「おばさん」と「おばあさん」の長音化が意味を変える。
In Japanese, the elongation of the vowel in 'obasan' and 'obaasan' changes the meaning.
Can refer to drawing out a sound, but less technical; also used for stretching images or time.
彼は語尾を引き伸ばして話す。
He speaks with a drawl, elongating the ends of words.
The angular distance between a planet and the sun as seen from Earth.
Astronomical term for elongation.
金星の最大離角は約47度です。
The greatest elongation of Venus is about 47 degrees.
The amount of stretching a material undergoes before breaking, often expressed as a percentage.
Used in engineering contexts for elongation percentage.
この鋼材の伸びは20%です。
The elongation of this steel material is 20%.
More formal term for elongation rate or percentage.
伸長率を測定する。
Measure the elongation rate.
伸ばす (のばす) is used for physical stretching (hair, limbs, rubber), while 延ばす (のばす) is used for extending time or abstract lengths (deadline, stay). In modern usage, 伸ばす is often written for both, but the distinction can be important in formal writing.
The English word 'elongation' is often technical. In everyday Japanese, use specific verbs like 伸ばす or 延長する instead of a direct noun equivalent. The noun 'elongation' itself is rarely used outside of scientific contexts.
Could you extend the deadline?