1.
time passes; time goes by; time elapses
A common expression meaning that time moves forward or a period of time has elapsed. Used to describe the passage of time in both concrete and emotional contexts.
時間が経つのが早い。
Time passes quickly.
あれから三年時間が経った。
Three years have passed since then.
時間が経つにつれて、傷は少しずつ癒えていった。
As time went by, the wound gradually healed.
One of the most frequently used time expressions in Japanese. The verb 経つ ('to elapse; to pass') is specific to the passage of time and is distinct from the homophone 立つ ('to stand').
USAGE:
- Often used with のが早い to express surprise at how quickly time passes.
- The pattern 時間が経つにつれて ('as time passes') is very common for describing gradual change.
- Can be modified with specific time periods: 一時間が経つ ('one hour passes'), 長い時間が経つ ('a long time passes').
- In casual speech, 時間が経つ is sometimes shortened to 時が経つ or 月日が経つ.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 時間が経つのが早い: time passes quickly
- 時間が経つにつれて: as time goes by
- だいぶ時間が経った: quite some time has passed
- 時間が経っても: even after time passes
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 月日が経つ: days and months pass — a more literary or reflective variant emphasizing the slow accumulation of time
- 時が流れる: time flows — a more poetic expression
- 年月が過ぎる: years pass — emphasizes the passage of longer periods