更ふける

ふ

け

る

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

更ける · ichidan verb

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

Describes time (especially night or a season) becoming deep or advanced. Often used with 夜, 秋, etc.

〈時とき〉が更ふけるまでuntil (the night/season) grows late
夜よるが更ふけるまで語かたり合あった。
We talked together until late into the night.
〈時とき〉も更ふけてきたのでsince it has gotten late (into the night/season)
夜よるも更ふけてきたので、そろそろ失しつ礼れいします。
Since it's gotten quite late, I should be heading out now.

更ふかす
更ける is intransitive (夜が更ける, 'the night grows late'), while 更かす is transitive (夜を更かす, 'to stay up late into the night').

暮くれるN3
暮れる describes the day ending or the sun setting, while 更ける describes the night or a season becoming deep and advanced.
深ふかまるN2
深まる means to deepen and is used more broadly (秋が深まる, 疑いが深まる), while 更ける is limited to time, especially night, growing late.

開あけるN5
明ける means night ends and dawn breaks, the opposite of 更ける, where night grows deeper and later.

老ふけるN1
老ける is pronounced the same as 更ける but means to age or grow old, not for time to grow late.
更こう
更 (こう) names one of the five two-hour night watches, while 更ける (ふける) is a verb meaning 'for the night to grow late', sharing the same kanji but a different reading and part of speech.
耽ふけるN1
更ける (as in 夜が更ける) means 'to grow late/deepen' referring to night or a season, unlike 耽る which means 'to indulge in'.

更ふけるUsage87%
Standard kanji spelling for 'to grow late'.
深ふけるUsage12%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 更ける is strongly preferred.
ふけるUsage1%

The kanji 更 suggests 'to change' or 'to renew', and 深 suggests 'deep'. The verb ふける likely derives from the idea of time deepening or progressing.