響(ひび)く

ひびく
godan verb
to resound; to echo; to affect
1. to resound; to echo; to reverberate
For a sound to carry and be heard over a distance or to bounce back.
鐘(かね)の音(おと)が町(まち)に響(ひび)いた。
The sound of the bell echoed through the town.
足音(あしおと)が廊下(ろうか)に響(ひび)いている。
Footsteps are echoing down the hallway.
花火(はなび)の音(おと)が山(やま)に響(ひび)いた。
The sound of fireworks echoed off the mountains.
2. to affect; to have an impact on
To influence or have consequences for something.
寝不足(ねぶそく)が仕事(しごと)に響(ひび)いている。
Lack of sleep is affecting my work.
無理(むり)をすると体(からだ)に響(ひび)くよ。
If you overdo it, it'll take a toll on your body.
この出費(しゅっぴ)は家計(かけい)に響(ひび)く。
This expense will hit the household budget hard.
3. to be felt; to reach (emotions)
For something to touch one's heart or resonate emotionally.
その言葉(ことば)が心(こころ)に響(ひび)いた。
Those words resonated in my heart.
先生(せんせい)の言葉(ことば)が深(ふか)く心(こころ)に響(ひび)いた。
The teacher's words resonated deeply in my heart.
あの映画(えいが)のメッセージは多(おお)くの人(ひと)の心(こころ)に響(ひび)いた。
The message of that movie resonated with many people.

響(ひび)く is intransitive (自動詞(じどうし)). The transitive pair is 響(ひび)かせる (to make resound).

ASPECT ({ている}):
響(ひび)いている indicates ongoing reverberation or an ongoing effect.

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 音(おと)が響(ひび)く (sound echoes)
  • 心(こころ)に響(ひび)く (to resonate in one's heart)
  • ～に響(ひび)く (to affect ~)
  • 体(からだ)に響(ひび)く (to take a toll on one's body)

PARTICLE PATTERNS:

  • ～が響(ひび)く: What is echoing
  • ～に響(ひび)く: What is affected, or where it echoes

The figurative sense of "affecting" something (often negatively) is very common in everyday use.

Related Words

Pair verb: 響(ひび)かせる (transitive)
Related: 響(ひび)き (noun form)
general
Added 2026.1.13 15:25 · Revised 2026.2.19 23:49
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