ほころぶ
ほころぶ
godan verb, intransitive
to come apart at the seams; to begin to bloom; to break into a smile
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | ほころぶ | ほころばない |
| Present polite | ほころびます | ほころびません |
| Past | ほころんだ | ほころばなかった |
| Past polite | ほころびました | ほころびませんでした |
| て form | ほころんで | ほころばなくて |
| ている present | ほころんでいる | ほころんでいない |
| ている polite | ほころんでいます | ほころんでいません |
| ている past | ほころんでいた | ほころんでいなかった |
| ている past polite | ほころんでいました | ほころんでいませんでした |
| Conditional ば | ほころべば | ほころばなければ |
| Conditional たら | ほころんだら | ほころばなかったら |
| Volitional | ほころぼう | — |
| Volitional polite | ほころびましょう | — |
| Potential | ほころべる | ほころべない |
| Passive | ほころばれる | ほころばれない |
| Causative | ほころばせる | ほころばせない |
| Imperative | ほころべ | ほころぶな |
1.
to come apart at the seams; to come undone; to rip open
Stitching or fabric begins to split open or unravel. The original, literal meaning of the word.
コートの縫い目がほころんだ。
The seam of the coat came apart.
古い着物の袖がほころびていた。
The sleeve of the old kimono was coming undone.
長く着すぎて、あちこちほころびてしまった。
I wore it for so long that it started coming apart all over.
2.
to begin to bloom; to start to open (of flower buds)
Flower buds begin to open, showing the first signs of blooming. A poetic and commonly used sense.
梅の蕾がほころび始めた。
The plum buds have started to open.
庭の桜がほころぶ季節になった。
The season has come when the garden's cherry blossoms begin to bloom.
春の日差しを受けて、花がほころんでいた。
The flowers were opening up in the spring sunshine.
3.
to break into a smile; to soften (of one's expression)
A face or expression relaxes and a smile naturally emerges. Often used for a gentle, involuntary smile.
思わず顔がほころんだ。
A smile involuntarily spread across my face.
赤ちゃんを見て、みんなの表情がほころんだ。
Everyone's expression softened when they saw the baby.
合格の知らせを聞いて、母の顔がほころんだ。
My mother's face broke into a smile when she heard the news of my passing.
A beautiful word that connects three meanings through the image of something gently opening: seams splitting, buds blooming, and faces softening into smiles. Can also be written 綻ぶ in kanji, though hiragana is more common.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 顔がほころぶ — to break into a smile
- 蕾がほころぶ — buds begin to open
- 縫い目がほころぶ — a seam comes apart
- 表情がほころぶ — one's expression softens
USAGE:
Senses 2 and 3 are the most common in modern Japanese. The word has a gentle, poetic quality. Sense 3 specifically describes a natural, involuntary smile — not a deliberate grin. Often used with 思わず (involuntarily).
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 咲く — to bloom (more general; ほころぶ emphasizes the very beginning of blooming)
- ほほえむ — to smile (neutral; ほころぶ emphasizes the involuntary, natural quality of the smile)