Explore 増 in words about growing numbers and deliberate increases.

The idea

増 has 14 strokes; follow the linked diagram. 増える（ふえる） is intransitive: the thing increasing takes が. 増やす（ふやす） takes を for what someone increases. 増加（ぞうか） is a noun and forms 増加する.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
増えるふえるincrease (intransitive)
増やすふやすincrease something
増加ぞうかincrease (noun)

Examples

  • 学生がくせいの数かずが増ふえました。The number of students increased.
  • 店みせは店員てんいんを増ふやしました。The shop increased its staff.
  • この町まちの人口じんこうが増ふえています。The population of this town is increasing.
  • 勉強べんきょうする時間じかんを増ふやしたいです。I want to increase the time I spend studying.
  • 観光客かんこうきゃくが増加ぞうかしています。Tourists are increasing in number.
  • 雨あめが川かわの水みずを増ふやしました。The rain increased the amount of water in the river.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not use 増える with を for the thing increased. Compare 学生が増える with 店員を増やす; 増加 is a more formal noun.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 増える in hiragana.

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    ふえる

    増える is ふえる: 学生の数が増えました means the number of students increased.

  2. Write the reading of 増加 in hiragana.

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    ぞうか

    増加 is ぞうか: 観光客が増加しています describes a growing number of tourists.

  3. Choose the verb: 店員を＿［増やしました／増えました］。

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    増やしました

    増やしました fits because 店員を marks the staff as what was increased; 増えました does not take that object.

Use it today

Write 増 using the diagram, then cover the table and make one sentence each with 増える and 増やす.