興こう亡ぼう

こ

う

ぼ

う

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

Refers to the cyclical flourishing and decline of nations, civilizations, organizations, or other large-scale entities. Often used in historical or analytical contexts.

歴れき史しは国こっ家かの興こう亡ぼうを繰くり返かえしてきた。
History has repeated the rise and fall of nations.
この本ほんはローマ帝てい国こくの興こう亡ぼうを詳くわしく描えがいている。
This book describes the rise and fall of the Roman Empire in detail.

See all 11 example sentences ›

Kanji

興entertain, revive, retrieve
亡deceased, the late, dying

Related words

盛せい衰すい
興亡 focuses specifically on the rise and fall of nations or dynasties, while 盛衰 can also describe the ups and downs of organizations, families, or individual fortunes.
存そん亡ぼう
興亡 describes the historical rise and fall of a nation or dynasty over time, while 存亡 is more about a critical moment of continued existence versus extinction.

Word family

治ち乱らん興こう亡ぼう
rise and fall of nations; peace and war, prosperity and decline
盛せい衰すい興こう亡ぼう
rise and fall; ups and downs; vicissitudes
興こう亡ぼう盛せい衰すい
rise and fall; prosperity and decline; vicissitudes

Etymology

Compound of 興 (こう, 'to rise, flourish') and 亡 (ぼう, 'to perish, fall'). The reading こうぼう follows standard on'yomi. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese texts to describe the cyclical nature of states and institutions.