減(へ)る

へる
verb (godan)
to decrease, to reduce
1. to decrease, to diminish
To become less in number or amount.
お腹(なか)が減(へ)った。
I'm hungry.
Literally: My stomach emptied
最近(さいきん)、人口(じんこう)が減(へ)り続(つづ)けている。
Recently, the population has been continuing to decrease.
働(はたら)く人(ひと)の数(かず)が減(へ)ったせいで、人手(ひとで)不足(ぶそく)が深刻(しんこく)になっている。
Because the number of workers has decreased, the labor shortage has become serious.

減(へ)る is an intransitive verb meaning to decrease or diminish in quantity or amount.

TRANSITIVITY:

  • Type: 自動詞(じどうし) (intransitive)
  • Pair: 減(へ)らす (transitive, to reduce)

ASPECT (ている):
減(へ)っている indicates a state of having decreased or being reduced.

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 人口(じんこう)が減(へ)る: population decreases
  • 売(う)り上(あ)げが減(へ)る: sales decrease
  • 体重(たいじゅう)が減(へ)る: weight decreases
  • お腹(なか)が減(へ)る: to be hungry (lit. stomach becomes empty)

CONTRAST:

  • 減(へ)る: to decrease (intransitive)
  • 増(ふ)える: to increase (intransitive)

NOTE:
お腹(なか)が減(へ)った is a casual way to say "I'm hungry." More polite: お腹(なか)が空(す)きました.

general
Added 2026.1.9 21:31 · Revised 2026.2.21 12:45
01500/01985_heru