“To climb” in Japanese is 登る (のぼる), pronounced noboru.
Pronunciation
The word has 3 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
To climb a mountain or stairs. The mountain takes に: 富士山に登る.
Example sentences
- 富士山に登りたいです。ふじさんにのぼりたいです。I want to climb Mount Fuji.
- 階段を登りました。かいだんをのぼりました。I climbed the stairs.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 登る. The rules are explained in Japanese verbs: the ます form.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary (plain) | 登る のぼる | climb |
| Polite present | 登ります のぼります | climb |
| Polite negative | 登りません のぼりません | don’t climb |
| Polite past | 登りました のぼりました | past of “climb” |
| Plain negative (ない) | 登らない のぼらない | don’t climb (casual) |
| Plain past (た) | 登った のぼった | past of “climb” (casual) |
| て-form | 登って のぼって | climb and… / please climb (+ください) |
| Want to (たい) | 登りたい のぼりたい | want to climb |
Quick practice
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FAQ
How do you say to climb in Japanese?
To climb in Japanese is 登る (のぼる), pronounced “noboru”.
How do you write to climb in Japanese?
It's written 登る with kanji, or のぼる in hiragana. Both are read noboru.
Is 登る on the JLPT?
Yes. 登る (noboru) is a common word at JLPT N4 level, so it's worth learning early.