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越える (こえる, koeru) Japanese meaning: cross over | Kotomora
Common word› JLPT N3 › Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation 越える · ichidan verb
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 越こ える 越こ えない Polite 越こ えます 越こ えません Past polite 越こ えました 越こ えませんでした Past 越こ えた 越こ えなかった Te-form 越こ えて 越こ えないで Desire 越こ えたい 越こ えたくない Potential 越こ えられる also 越こ えれる 越こ えられない also 越こ えれない Passive 越こ えられる 越こ えられない Causative 越こ えさせる 越こ えさせない Causative passive 越こ えさせられる 越こ えさせられない Volitional 越こ えよう Polite volitional 越こ えましょう Imperative 越こ えろ 越こ えるな Conditional 越こ えれば 越こ えなければ Tara conditional 越こ えたら 越こ えなかったら
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小ちい
さな
村むら
が
見み
え
た
。
After crossing the mountain, we saw a small village.
Go straight along this road and cross the bridge.
Usage patterns 〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 を 越こ える to cross over a place (mountain, border, river)
We crossed the border into the neighboring country.
〈 数かず 〉 を 超こ える to exceed a number or amount
The number of participants exceeded a thousand.
〈 時とき 〉 を 越こ えて across a span of time; transcending an era
That story is loved across generations.
Expressions 峠とうげ を 越こ える pass the peak; get through the hardest part; be over the worst · cross a mountain pass 時とき を 越こ えて through time; across time; surviving the ages 法のり を 越こ える violate the laws of nature; overstep the bounds of moderation 死し 線せん を 越こ える to be out of danger; to cross the line between life and death Kanji 越 surpass, cross over, move to 超 transcend, super-, ultra- Related words· 11 越す is a slightly more formal or literary way to say 'cross/exceed' and appears often in compounds like 引っ越す, while 越える is the everyday choice.
過ぎる focuses on passing a point in time or going past a limit, often implying 'too much', whereas 越える stresses crossing a boundary or clearing a standard.
上回る is used specifically for numerical figures exceeding a benchmark (sales, scores), while 越える can describe both numbers and physical/temporal crossing.
超える is a broad, everyday verb for crossing or exceeding a limit, while 超越 is a more abstract, formal noun for surpassing ordinary categories or limits altogether.
Show 7 more 越える means to go over or exceed a boundary or limit, without the specific leg-lifting motion that 跨ぐ implies.
越える is a general verb for crossing over or exceeding something, while 乗り越える adds the nuance of actively climbing over or overcoming an obstacle with effort.
超える is a common, everyday verb for exceeding a limit or standard, while 凌駕 is formal and stresses decisive overall superiority.
Opposites 下回る means to fall below a figure, the opposite of 越える used for exceeding a number or standard.
超える means to exceed a certain amount or degree, the opposite of 止まる（とどまる）'s sense of being confined to a limit.
Word family· 11 climb over; cross over; get over (a physical obstacle) · overcome; get through; surmount (a difficulty, crisis, etc.) · surpass; overtake (a predecessor)
jump over; leap over; clear · fly over; fly across · skip over; jump ahead; leapfrog
mountain crossing; crossing over a mountain
Written forms 越こ える Usage 30%
Standard kanji for crossing over physical boundaries or points in time; also used abstractly for exceeding limits.
超こ える Usage 64%
Preferred when emphasizing surpassing a numerical threshold, limit, or expectation.
こえる Usage 6%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing when the kanji distinction is not needed.
Etymology Derived from classical verb 越ゆ (こゆ). The kanji 越 and 超 both carry the meaning of 'crossing over' or 'surpassing', with 越 often used for physical crossing and 超 for exceeding limits.
渡る focuses on moving across a surface such as a bridge or river, while 越える focuses on surpassing or going over a boundary or limit.
オーバーする and 超える both mean to exceed a limit, but 超える is a native verb usable in formal writing, while オーバーする is a casual loanword verb often paired with numbers or amounts.
越える means to go over or beyond a boundary or obstacle, whereas 横切る focuses on moving straight across a flat area.
越える is a general verb for crossing over or exceeding something, while 突破 implies a forceful or determined breakthrough.
川かわ 越ご え
crossing a river; river crossing
crossing a border; cross-border
Show 6 more exceeding capacity; over capacity
crossing the line; going too far
go out of turn; butt in; skip ahead
rise above; transcend · surpass; excel; be superior to · go out; come around
step over; cross over; overcome
cross the line; go too far
