生ふ

Japanese

Kanji in this term
生
お Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Etymology

From Old Japanese.

Appears to be cognate with an op- stem that also derives modern 大きい (ōkii, “big, large”), 多い (ōi, “many”), and possibly 覆う (ōu, “to cover”).

Verb

生ふ(おう) • (ou) ^{←おふ (ofu)?}intransitive ^†nidan

1. (of plants or trees, archaic) to grow large, spring up
   • 905–914, Kokin Wakashū (book 8, poem 365; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 16)

     立(たち)わかれいなばの山(やま)の峰(みね)におふる松(まつ)としきかば今(いま)かへりこむ

     tachiwakare Inaba-no-yama no mine ni ouru matsu to shi kikaba ima kaerikon

     I leave Mount Inaba with pines growing on its peak. If I hear you say “pine (wait),” I will surely return right away!

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "生ふ" (ハ行上二段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	生ひ	おひ	ofi
Continuative (連用形)	生ひ	おひ	ofi
Terminal (終止形)	生ふ	おふ	ofu
Attributive (連体形)	生ふる	おふる	ofuru
Realis (已然形)	生ふれ	おふれ	ofure
Imperative (命令形)	生ひよ	おひよ	ofiyo
Key constructions
Negative	生ひず	おひず	ofizu
Contrasting conjunction	生ふれど	おふれど	ofuredo
Causal conjunction	生ふれば	おふれば	ofureba
Conditional conjunction	生ひば	おひば	ofiba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	生ひき	おひき	ofiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	生ひけり	おひけり	ofikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	生ひつ	おひつ	ofitu
Perfect tense (natural event)	生ひぬ	おひぬ	ofinu
Perfect-continuative tense	生ひたり	おひたり	ofitari
Volitional	生ひむ	おひむ	ofimu

Derived terms

• 生(お)ゆ (oyu)
• 生(お)へる (oeru)
• 生(お)ほす (oosu)
• 生(お)ひ上(あ)がる (oiagaru)
• 生(お)ひ出(い)づ (oiizu)
• 生(お)い先(さき) (oisaki)
• 生(お)ひ様(ざま) (oizama)
• 生(お)ひ及(し)く (oishiku)
• 生(お)い茂(しげ)る (oishigeru)
• 生(お)ひ末(すえ) (oisue)
• 生(お)ひ育(そだ)ち (oisodachi)
• 生(お)い育(そだ)つ (oisodatsu)
• 生(お)い立(た)ち (oitachi)
• 生(お)い立(た)つ (oitatsu)
• 生(お)ひ継(つ)ぐ (oitsugu)
• 生(お)ひなる (oinaru)
• 生(お)ひ上(のぼ)る (oinoboru)
• 生(お)ひ優(まさ)る (oimasaru)
• 生(お)ひ行(ゆ)く (oiyuku)
• 片(かた)生(お)ひ (kataoi)
• 今年(ことし)生(おい)ひ (kotoshi-oi)
• 稚児生(ちごお)ひ (chigooi)
• 蓴(ぬなわ)生(お)う (nunawaou)
• 根生(ねお)い (neoi)
• 鼠(ねずみ)生(お)ひ (nezumi-oi)
• 水(み)草(くさ)生(お)う (mikusa-ou)
• 弥生(やよい) (yayoi)

 

Idioms

• 心(こころ)生(お)ふ (kokoro ou)

Old Japanese

Etymology

Appears to be cognate with an op- stem that also derives the stem 大 (opo-, “big, large”) and possibly the verb 覆ふ (opu, “to cover”).

Verb

生ふ (opu) (kana おふ)

1. (of plants or trees) to grow large, spring up
   • 711–712, Kojiki, (poem 91):

     ...母登爾波伊久美陀氣淤斐須恵幣爾波多斯美陀氣淤斐...

     ...mo₂to₂ ni pa ikumi₁dake₂ opi₂ suwepe₁ ni pa tasimi₁dake₂ opi₂...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • c. 759, Man’yōshū, book 6, poem 925:
     , text here

     烏玉之夜之深去者久木生留淸河原爾知鳥數鳴

     nubatama no₂ yo₁ no₂ puke₂yuke₂ba pi₁sagi₂ opuru ki₁yo₁ki₁ kapara ni tido₂ri sibanaku

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "生ふ" (ハ行上二段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	生ひ	おひ	ofi
Continuative (連用形)	生ひ	おひ	ofi
Terminal (終止形)	生ふ	おふ	ofu
Attributive (連体形)	生ふる	おふる	ofuru
Realis (已然形)	生ふれ	おふれ	ofure
Imperative (命令形)	生ひよ	おひよ	ofiyo
Key constructions
Negative	生ひず	おひず	ofizu
Contrasting conjunction	生ふれど	おふれど	ofuredo
Causal conjunction	生ふれば	おふれば	ofureba
Conditional conjunction	生ひば	おひば	ofiba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	生ひき	おひき	ofiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	生ひけり	おひけり	ofikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	生ひつ	おひつ	ofitu
Perfect tense (natural event)	生ひぬ	おひぬ	ofinu
Perfect-continuative tense	生ひたり	おひたり	ofitari
Volitional	生ひむ	おひむ	ofimu

Derived terms

• 生ほす (oposu, “to nurture”)
• 彌生 (iyaopi₂)

Descendants

• Japanese: 生ふ (ou)