At a glance
～びる attaches to a small set of nouns and い-adjective stems and makes a verb meaning "to take on the look or quality of ~". It describes how someone or something appears.
[Noun / い-adjective stem] + びる → る-verb
娘は最近大人びてきた。 My daughter has started to look grown-up lately.
How to form it
～びる only combines with certain words. Learn these as set verbs:
| Base word | ～びる verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大人 (noun) | 大人びる | to look or act grown-up |
| 古い (い-adj) | 古びる | to look old and worn |
| 田舎 (noun) | 田舎びる | to look rustic, countrified |
| ひな (old word for "countryside") | ひなびる | to be quiet and rustic |
All ～びる verbs conjugate as る-verbs:
| Form | Casual | Polite |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 大人びる | 大人びます |
| Negative | 大人びない | 大人びません |
| Past | 大人びた | 大人びました |
| て-form | 大人びて | |
| State | 大人びている | 大人びています |