Japanese word

過ぎる

Pronunciation

Romajisugiru

Meaning

  • verbpass, go by

Example

時間が過ぎます。ji kan ga su gi ma su

Time passes.

Illustration for 過ぎる (pass)

More examples

夏休みはすぐに過ぎます。natsu yasu mi wa su gu ni su gi ma su

Summer vacation goes by quickly.

待っている間に三時間が過ぎました。ma tte i ru aida ni san ji kan ga su gi ma shi ta

Three hours passed while I was waiting.

Core concept

Presents time or a period as moving forward beyond the point where it began.

Common phrases

  • 時間が過ぎるji kan ga su gi ru

    time passes

  • 無事に過ぎるbu ji ni su gi ru

    pass safely

  • 何事もなく過ぎるnani goto mo na ku su gi ru

    pass uneventfully

Similar words

経つtatsu: To pass by as a period of time continues.

Definition in Japanese

時間や時期などが経過する。ji kan ya ji ki na do ga kei ka su ru

Word origin

過ぎる (sugiru) developed from the native Japanese verb 過ぐ (sugu), meaning "to pass" or "to go beyond"; the modern form keeps this sense of moving past a point.

Usage tips

  • Japanese uses 過ぎる (sugiru) after a time expression to mean that the stated time has passed, as in 三時を過ぎる (sanji o sugiru), "go past three o'clock."

Other meanings

  • go beyondverb
  • pass throughverb

Word lists with this word