The Meaning of sakaeru [栄える] In Japanese

栄える
さかえる
Romaji: sakaeru N3

What does 栄える mean?

Translation and Meaning

flourish, prosper, thrive, bloom

Definition

栄える means to flourish or prosper, describing a person, place, or thing that gains prominence, vitality, or beauty over time.

Type

Verb (godan)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Flourish or prosper in a broad sense, including cities, economies, cultures, and living things.
  • Become vibrant, prosperous, or prestigious within a particular place or context.
  • Appear brilliant or splendid in appearance or reputation, often in literary or poetic usage.

Composition

  • 栄: glory, flourishing, prosperity
  • える: verb-ending that marks the action as a verb
  • Together express the idea to become glorious through growth and prominence

Usage

Used in formal and written contexts to describe growth, prosperity, and flourishing phenomena, such as cities, economies, cultures, or landscapes; typically intransitive and used with a subject that becomes prominent or vibrant.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a tree crowned with laurel rising under the kanji 栄 to remember to flourish

Variations

  • 繁栄する han’ei suru — prosper, flourish
  • 発展する hatten suru — develop, advance
  • 栄光を浴びる eikō o abiru — bask in glory
  • 衰える otorueru — decline (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 週末の朝、町の市場が栄える。
    Shūmatsu no asa, machi no ichiba ga sakaeru.
    On a weekend morning, the town market flourishes.
    Lista:
    • 週末の朝 (shūmatsu no asa) – weekend morning
    • 町の市場 (machi no ichiba) – town market
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 栄える (sakaeru) – to flourish
    The verb 栄える (「栄える」) means ‘to flourish’ and is used intransitively with が marking the subject.
栄える