The Meaning of yaseru [痩せる] In Japanese

痩せる
やせる
Romaji: yaseru N5

What does 痩せる mean?

Translation and Meaning

to lose weight, to become thin

Definition

痩せる means to lose weight or become thinner, describing a reduction in body mass or fat, typically through dieting, exercise, or illness.

Type

verb (ichidan, ru-verb)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Voluntary weight loss through dieting or exercise.
  • Involuntary thinning due to illness, aging, or wasting away.
  • Becoming noticeably slimmer or leaner over time in everyday description.

Etymology

痩 thin, lean; やせ is the kun-reading; the verb form やせる is formed by adding the suffix る to the root, yielding a native Japanese ru-verb. The character reflects the slimming concept; older variants include 瘦.</

Composition

  • 痩: thin, lean
  • る: ru-verb suffix forming a one-step conjugation verb

Usage

Used in casual and formal contexts to describe weight loss or slimming; common with phrases such as 痩せる前に, 痩せたい, 痩せた; often used with nouns like 体重 or 体; appears in health, fitness, and lifestyle contexts.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: the left-side 疒 radical suggests illness-related weight change; use the image of a silhouette getting thinner under illness or dieting to remember that 痩せる means to lose weight.

Variations

  • やせる (yaseru) – same meaning in kana form
  • 減量する (げんりょうする, genryou suru) – to reduce weight, more formal
  • ふとる (futoru) – antonym, to gain weight
  • やつれる (yatsureru) – to waste away, negative nuance

Example Phrases

  • 今朝は 食事を 控えめにして 痩せるための 計画を 守る。
    Kesa wa shokuji o hikaeme ni shite, yaseru tame no keikaku o mamoru.
    This morning I limit my meals and keep the plan to lose weight.
    Lista:
    • 今朝は (kesa wa) – this morning
    • 食事を (shokuji o) – meal
    • 控えめにして (hikaeme ni shite) – limiting
    • 痩せるための (yaseru tame no) – for losing weight
    • 計画を (keikaku o) – plan
    • 守る (mamoru) – keep
    痩せる is the plain form meaning ‘to lose weight’; in 痩せるための計画, it means ‘a plan for losing weight’.
痩せる