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JAPANESE VERB

にる

似る

to take after, to look like

  • Ichidan verb (ru-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI take after
NegativeI don’t take after

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI took after
NegativeI didn’t take after

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formtaking after, and…
Doing now (て います)I am taking after
Please (て ください)please take after

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can take after
NegativeI can’t take after

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to take after
NegativeI don’t want to take after

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s take after

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I take after
  2. If, when (たら) if I take after

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) take after (do it)
  2. Plain command take after!
  3. Please don’t please don’t take after

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am taken after
CausativeI make someone take after

How to use にる

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    わたし は はは に あまり にません。

    I don't look much like my mother.

  2. Past

    せいかく は ちち に にた。

    In character, I took after my father.

  3. Te-form

    ベン さん は おとうさん に よく にて います ね。

    Ben looks a lot like his father, doesn't he?

  4. Potential

    かお は にて も、 せいかく まで は にられない。

    You can look alike, but you can't copy a character.

  5. Want to

    わたし も りょうり じょうず な はは に にたい。

    I'd like to take after my mother, who's a great cook.

  6. Volitional

    せんぱい に によう と おもって、 かみがた を かえた。

    I wanted to be like my senior, so I changed my hairstyle.

  7. Conditional

    かお が にれば、 きょうだい だ と すぐ わかる。

    If the faces are alike, you can tell they're siblings right away.

  8. Commands and requests

    いい ところ だけ おや に になさい。

    Take after your parents in the good things only.

  9. Passive and causative

    むすこ に くせ まで にられて、 はずかしい。

    My son has copied even my habits, and it's embarrassing.

Good to know

  • にる takes に for the person: ちち に にて いる. It is almost always said in the て いる form: にて いる, にて います.
  • Don't confuse it with にる, to simmer, which is the same kana: さかな を にる.

Where you hear にる

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Intermediate Level 3

  • ベン は、 おとうさん に にてる。 Ben takes after his dad.
  • ゆい は、 ちいさい とき、 おとうさん に にて いました。 When she was small, Yui looked like her father.
  • ぼく も、 そのうち おとうさん に にて くる よ。 I'll get to look like Dad too, sooner or later.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: ichidan verb (ru-verb).