Common word› JLPT N3 › Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation あふれる · ichidan verb
Form Positive Negative Dictionary あふれる あふれない Polite あふれます あふれません Past polite あふれました あふれませんでした Past あふれた あふれなかった Te-form あふれて あふれないで Desire あふれたい あふれたくない Potential あふれられる also あふれれる あふれられない also あふれれない Passive あふれられる あふれられない Causative あふれさせる あふれさせない Causative passive あふれさせられる あふれさせられない Volitional あふれよう Polite volitional あふれましょう Imperative あふれろ あふれるな Conditional あふれれば あふれなければ Tara conditional あふれたら あふれなかったら
Usage patterns 〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 が 〈 物もの 〉 で 溢あふ れる for a place to be overflowing with something (e.g. people, objects)
The venue was overflowing with people.
〈 物もの 〉 から 〈 物もの 〉 が 溢あふ れる for something to overflow out of a container
Water overflowed from the cup.
〈 人ひと 〉 の 目め に 涙なみだ が 溢あふ れる for someone's eyes to well up with tears
Tears welled up in her eyes.
〈 物もの 〉 に 〈 物もの 〉 が 溢あふ れる for a feeling or quality to overflow within someone or something
His heart overflowed with gratitude.
Kanji 溢 overflow, inundate, spill Related words· 7 こぼれる describes something spilling or falling out of a container, often accidentally, while 溢れる emphasizes the container being too full and the contents rising over the edge.
満ちる means to become full or reach capacity, while 溢れる means that capacity has been exceeded and something is flowing over.
氾濫する is a more formal, technical word used mainly for rivers or floodwaters overflowing their banks, while 溢れる is broader and can describe liquids, crowds, or emotions.
溢れる emphasizes a container being so full that its contents flow over, while 零れる more often suggests something falling out or escaping unintentionally.
Show 3 more Show fewer あふれる describes emotion overflowing once it has already built up, whereas 込み上げる describes the actual rising motion of the feeling from within.
溢れる stresses an amount overflowing a container or limit entirely, while 食み出る focuses on just the part that sticks past the edge.
溢れる means to overflow beyond capacity, whereas 充満 means to fill a space completely without necessarily spilling over.
Don't confuse with 溢れる (あふれる , 'to overflow') looks visually similar to 溺れる (おぼれる , 'to drown') due to their shared 氵 radical, but they are unrelated in meaning.
Word family· 9 overflow; excess; spillover
overflow; pour out; spill out
overflow; spill out; well up
overflow check
overflow indication
Show 4 more Show fewer extremely talented; very gifted
be full of; be overflowing with
be overflowing with; be awash with; be full of
overflowing; brimming; bursting with
Written forms あふれる Usage 67%
Kana spelling is the usual written form.
溢あふ れる Usage 33%
Kanji form is common but the word is usually written in kana.
Etymology Derived from the verb あふる (to overflow, to flood), which is the transitive counterpart. The intransitive form あふれる developed naturally. The kanji 溢 means 'overflow'.
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