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.
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.
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.
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)