増
increase, add, augment, gain, promote
Readings
On'yomi
- ゾウ
Kun'yomi
- ま.す
- ま.し
- ふ.える
- ふ.やす
Nanori
- まし
- ます
Meaning
増 centers on making something larger in amount, number, or degree: increasing, adding to, augmenting, or gaining more. The sense of promotion fits as a rise in rank or status.
Most common words using 増
24 of 194- 増えるふえるN4
to increase; to multiply
- 増やすふやすN3
to increase; to add to; to augment
- 増加ぞうかN3
increase; rise; growth; addition; increment
- 増しましN2
better; preferable; less objectionable; least-worst
- 増大ぞうだいN2
enlargement; increase
- 増殖ぞうしょくN1
increase; multiplication; propagation; proliferation
- 増すますN3
to increase; to grow
- 急増きゅうぞうN2
rapid increase; sharp rise; proliferation; surge; explosion
- 増強ぞうきょうN1
reinforcement; augmentation; strengthening; increase; buildup
- 増税ぞうぜいN1
tax increase
- 倍増ばいぞうN1
doubling; double
- 増設ぞうせつ
adding (equipment, facilities, etc.); establishing more; installing more; increase; extension; expansion
- 増減ぞうげんN2
increase and decrease; fluctuation
- 増進ぞうしんN1
promoting; increase; advance
- 増額ぞうがく
increase (in an amount of money)
- 増員ぞういん
increasing the number of staff; hiring more people
- 増水ぞうすい
rising water (of river, lake, etc.); swelling water; increased water; high water
- 増産ぞうさん
increase in production; production increase
- 水増しみずましN1
dilution; watering down
- 増資ぞうし
increase of capital
- 増刷ぞうさつ
additional printing; additional print run; reprint
- 増収ぞうしゅう
increase in yield
- 日増しにひましにN1
day by day
- 増益ぞうえき
increased (profit)
Study
Etymology
増 is the modern simplified form of 增. The older form combines 土 (earth) with 曽, which likely contributed the sound and the idea of piling up or adding to earth.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side is earth 土, and the right side 曽 looks like a stack of fields 田 and a sun 日. Picture piling up earth to increase the height of a mound.
Reading mnemonic
For ゾウ, imagine a growing elephant (象, ぞう) adding more earth to a mound with its trunk: 象 -> ゾウ, and the mound increases.