越こえる

こ

え

る

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

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

Meanings

ichidan verb, transitive verb

cross over; pass through; go beyond

Used for physically crossing a boundary (mountain, river, border) or moving past a point in space or time. 越える is the typical kanji.

山やまを越こえると、小ちいさな村むらが見みえた。
After crossing the mountain, we saw a small village.
この道みちをまっすぐ行いって、橋はしを越こえてください。
Go straight along this road and cross the bridge.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

exceed; surpass; be more than

Used for exceeding a numerical value, limit, expectation, or standard. 超える is the typical kanji for this sense.

気き温おんが30度どを超こえた。
The temperature exceeded 30 degrees.
彼かれの成せい績せきはクラスの平へい均きんを超こえている。
His grades surpass the class average.

See all 862 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉を越こえるto cross over a place (mountain, border, river)
国こっ境きょうを越こえて隣りん国ごくに入はいった。
We crossed the border into the neighboring country.
〈数かず〉を超こえるto exceed a number or amount
参さん加か者しゃは千せん人にんを超こえた。
The number of participants exceeded a thousand.
〈時とき〉を越こえてacross a span of time; transcending an era
その物もの語がたりは時じ代だいを越こえて愛あいされている。
That story is loved across generations.

Expressions

峠とうげ越ごえcrossing a mountain pass
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
川かわを越こえるcross a river
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

越こすN2
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.
過すぎるN4
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.
上うわ回まわるN2sense 2
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.
超ちょう越えつN1
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

またぐN2
越える means to go over or exceed a boundary or limit, without the specific leg-lifting motion that 跨ぐ implies.
乗のり越こえるN2
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.
凌りょう駕が
超える is a common, everyday verb for exceeding a limit or standard, while 凌駕 is formal and stresses decisive overall superiority.
渡わたるN5
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N3
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.
横よこ切ぎるN3
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.
突とっ破ぱN1
越える is a general verb for crossing over or exceeding something, while 突破 implies a forceful or determined breakthrough.

Opposites

下した回まわる sense 2
下回る means to fall below a figure, the opposite of 越える used for exceeding a number or standard.
とどまるN2
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.

Don't confuse with

肥こえるN1
肥える and 越える share the identical reading こえる but 越える means 'to cross over or exceed', unrelated to gaining weight or fertility.

Word family· 11

乗のり越こえるN2
climb over; cross over; get over (a physical obstacle) · overcome; get through; surmount (a difficulty, crisis, etc.) · surpass; overtake (a predecessor)
飛とび越こえる
jump over; leap over; clear · fly over; fly across · skip over; jump ahead; leapfrog
山やま越ごえ
mountain crossing; crossing over a mountain
川かわ越ごえ
crossing a river; river crossing
国こっ境きょう越ごえ
crossing a border; cross-border

Show 6 more

キャパ越ごえ
exceeding capacity; over capacity
ライン越ごえ
crossing the line; going too far
差さし越こえる
go out of turn; butt in; skip ahead
立たち越こえる
rise above; transcend · surpass; excel; be superior to · go out; come around
踏ふみ越こえる
step over; cross over; overcome
一いっ線せんを越こえる
cross the line; go too far

Written forms

越こえるUsage30%
Standard kanji for crossing over physical boundaries or points in time; also used abstractly for exceeding limits.
超こえるUsage64%
Preferred when emphasizing surpassing a numerical threshold, limit, or expectation.
こえるUsage6%
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.