(ほこ)

ほこる
verb (godan)
to boast, to be proud of, to take pride in
他動詞 transitivecommunicationemotion
See also: (ほこ) (noun form)
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present(ほこ)(ほこ)らない
Present polite(ほこ)ります(ほこ)りません
Past(ほこ)った(ほこ)らなかった
Past polite(ほこ)りました(ほこ)りませんでした
て form(ほこ)って(ほこ)らなくて
ている present(ほこ)っている(ほこ)っていない
ている polite(ほこ)っています(ほこ)っていません
ている past(ほこ)っていた(ほこ)っていなかった
ている past polite(ほこ)っていました(ほこ)っていませんでした
Conditional ば(ほこ)れば(ほこ)らなければ
Conditional たら(ほこ)ったら(ほこ)らなかったら
Volitional(ほこ)ろう
Volitional polite(ほこ)りましょう
Potential(ほこ)れる(ほこ)れない
Passive(ほこ)られる(ほこ)られない
Causative(ほこ)らせる(ほこ)らせない
Imperative(ほこ)(ほこ)るな
1. to be proud of, to take pride in
To feel pride in something, often a legitimate accomplishment, quality, or tradition. In this sense, the nuance is positive — having justified confidence or pride.
It's technology that Japan is proud of.
This region boasts a long history.
I want to make products of a quality we can be proud of to the world.
2. to boast, to brag
To speak proudly or show off about one's achievements or possessions. In this sense, the nuance can be negative, implying excessive self-promotion.
He brags about his grades.
He's always boasting about his educational background.
If you just keep boasting about past glories, you can't move forward.

Common patterns

  • (ほこ)る: to be proud of ~, to boast ~
  • (ほこ)れる: to be able to be proud of (toward ~)
  • 世界(せかい)(ほこ)る: to be proud of on a world stage

Common collocations

Usage

When the subject is a place, company, or country, sense 1 (legitimate pride) is typical. When the subject is a person showing off, it can shade into sense 2 (boasting). The potential form (ほこ)れる is common in positive contexts: 世界(せかい)(ほこ)れる (something to be proud of internationally).