Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 8: 10/19

びる

-like, looking, feeling, with an air of, to become

Notice that 古びた and ひなびた are generally only used to modify (describe) nouns.

Structure

Noun + びる
［い］Adjective［い］ + びる
Noun + びた + Noun
［い］Adjective［い］ + びた + Noun

Used with a limited set of expressions:
・Common:
おとなびる・おとなびた
古びた
ひなびた

・Uncommon/sometimes used in literary language:
田舎びた
物寂びる

・Generally not used in modern language:
ひねこびる
神さびる
おさなびる,

Details

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    Formal

  • 使用域

    硬い

About びる

びる, like めく, is a verb that is used exclusively as a suffix. It is a る-Verb, and may be translated as '(A) looking', '(A) seeming', or 'behaving like (A)'. びる is quite formal, and will follow a limited set of expressions.
びる will appear after nouns, or occasionally the stem form of い-Adjectives.
  • 実家(じっか)で屋根裏部屋(やねうらべや)を掃除(そうじ)していたら、古(ふる)びたアルバムが続々(つぎつぎ)と出(で)てきた。
    While cleaning out the attic at my parents' house, I found a series of old-looking albums.
  • 彼女(かのじょ)は幼(おさな)びて見(み)えるけど、実際(じっさい)は33歳(さい)らしい。
    She is young-looking, but apparently she is 33 years old.
  • 彼女(かのじょ)は大人(おとな)びて見(み)えるが、まだ社会(しゃかい)のことなんて分(わ)かってないただの学生(がくせい)だ。
    She is adult-looking, but she is actually just a student that knows nothing about the real world.
  • この町(まち)は田舎(いなか)びているから好(す)きだ。
    I like this town because it is rural-like.
びる indicates that, according to the speaker, something 'gives off the sense of (A)', and is based on visual information. As it is a descriptive verb, びる will change to びた when linked directly to a second noun.
  • 私(わたし)はどんなに治安(ちあん)が良(よ)くても、田舎(いなか)びた町(まち)には住(す)みたくない。
    No matter how safe it is, I don't want to live in a rural-looking town.
  • なぜ子供(こども)は大人(おとな)びた格好(かっこう)をしたがるのだろうか。
    I wonder why kids tend to want to dress adult-like.
Fun Fact
Both びる and めく can be thought of as similar to さ, the structure that pairs with adjectives to create new nouns indicating an extent. This is due to the fact that when びる or めく attach to a word, they turn that word itself into a verb that expresses 'having the feeling of (A)', or 'having gained the feeling of (A)' when used in past tense.

Examples

  • 小説(しょうせつ)、序章(じょしょう)：「旭丘(あさひがおか)は日(ひ)がのんびりとのどかに過(す)ぎていく、海岸沿(かいがんぞ)いのひなびた雰囲気(ふんいき)が漂(ただよ)う漁村(ぎょそん)だった。」

    A novel, prologue: 'Asahigaoka was a coastal fishing village with a rustic feel to it, where time passed peacefully.'

  • 小説(しょうせつ)：「ヴァミリオは大人(おとな)びて見(み)えるが、純粋(じゅんすい)で、表情(ひょうじょう)がわかりやすい少女(しょうじょ)なのだ。」

    A novel: 'Vamirio looked mature-like, but she was a pure girl with easy-to-read facial expressions.'

  • 小説(しょうせつ)：「古(ふる)びた木橋(もくきょう)は足(あし)を踏(ふ)み出(だ)すたびに不穏(ふおん)な音(おと)がした。」

    A novel: 'The old-looking wooden bridge was making a disturbing noise with every step.'

    古びた is generally used with things rather than people.

  • 一見(いっけん)するとひなびた小(ちい)さな街(まち)ではあるが夏(なつ)ともなると多(おお)くの観光(かんこう)客(きゃく)がこの街(まち)に来(く)る。

    At first glance, it might be a small city with a rustic feel to it, but when the summer begins, numerous tourists come.

  • 「くみこは年(とし)の割(わり)に大人(おとな)びている。」

    'Kumiko feels mature for her age.'

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