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滅ぶ (ほろぶ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-bu), intransitive verb
perish ; be destroyed ; go to ruin ; die out
Intransitive verb describing the natural or inevitable decline and disappearance of a nation, culture, species, or way of life. Often used in historical or dramatic contexts.
See also: 滅びる
The dinosaurs died out about 66 million years ago.
Written forms 滅ほろ ぶ Usage 73%
Standard kanji spelling for 'to perish, to be ruined'.
亡ほろ ぶ Usage 14%
Alternate kanji form; less common than 滅ぶ.
ほろぶ Usage 13%
Kanji 滅 destroy, ruin, overthrow 亡 deceased, the late, dying Similar words 滅ほろ びる Synonymous ichidan verb; 滅ぶ is a godan verb with the same meaning but slightly more literary or archaic in feel.
滅ほろ ぼす Transitive counterpart meaning 'to destroy, to ruin'; 滅ぶ is the intransitive 'to be destroyed'.
Etymology The verb 滅ぶ (ほろぶ) is a native Japanese godan verb. The kanji 滅 carries the meaning of 'destroy, ruin, perish'. The exact derivation of the reading ほろぶ is uncertain, but it is related to the transitive form 滅ぼす (ほろぼす) and the ichidan variant 滅びる (ほろびる).
