Japanese symbol for “lengthen”
伸びる
のびる
Romaji: nobiru
to stretch; to extend; to lengthen; to grow (of hair, height, grass, etc.)
In Japanese, lengthen is 伸びる, read のびる (nobiru).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v1, vi to stretch; to extend; to lengthen; to grow (of hair, height, grass, etc.)
- v1, vi to straighten out; to be flattened; to become smooth
- v1, vi to spread (of paint, cream, etc.)
- v1, vi to stretch out (e.g. of a hand); to extend
- v1, vi to lose elasticity; to become slack; to become soggy (e.g. of noodles)
- v1, vi to make progress; to develop; to expand; to increase; to improve
Written forms: 伸びる、延びる. Readings: のびる.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “lengthen”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 伸ばす | のばす nobasu | to lengthen; to extend; to stretch |
| 伸す | のす nosu | to stretch; to extend; to lengthen |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 伸び | のび nobi | growth; development |
| 伸ばす | のばす nobasu | to grow long (e.g. hair, nails) |
| 伸縮 | しんしゅく shinshuku | expansion and contraction; elasticity; flexibility |
| 伸び伸び | のびのび nobinobi | comfortably; peacefully; freely |
| 伸長 | しんちょう shinchou | expansion; extension; elongation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “lengthen”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.