経ちます（たちます、tachimasu）
- to pass (time)

The Japanese verb 経ちます (tachimasu) primarily means "to pass" or "to elapse" in the context of time. It describes the passage of time, usually used for the time that has passed since a specific event or point in time. It can also imply the end of a time period. The subject of the verb is usually time itself (e.g., years, months, days).

⚫︎一年経ちました Translation: A year has passed. ⚫︎授業が終わってから、もう二時間経ちました Translation: Two hours have already passed since the class ended. ⚫︎日本に来てからどのくらい経ちましたか？ Translation: How long has it been since you came to Japan?

You use 経ちます to talk about how time has moved on, from a starting point or a specific event. The starting point can be implied or explicitly stated. The word is generally used in formal or neutral contexts. It is more common in written Japanese than in everyday spoken Japanese, though it's perfectly acceptable to use in speech. To form different tenses, you need to change the conjugation of the verb.

The verb is typically written in kanji as 経ちます. However, the basic form uses only the kanji 経, and the rest is in hiragana. The reading is たちます. The okurigana (the hiragana that follows the kanji) is fixed as ちます, and variations don't exist in standard Japanese. In its plain form, the verb is 経つ, and can be conjugated to fit different tenses. Examples of the conjugation include: ⚫︎経った (past tense) ⚫︎経たない (negative, present/future) ⚫︎経て (te-form)

⚫︎過ぎる (sugiru): This verb also means "to pass" and is a synonym. However, 過ぎる focuses more on "going past" or "exceeding," while 経ちます focuses on the passage of time itself. ⚫︎経過する (keika suru): This is a more formal synonym, often used in reports or scientific contexts. It means "to pass" or "to proceed." ⚫︎経る (heru): This verb has a slightly broader meaning. It can also mean "to go through" or "to experience."

There aren't direct antonyms for 経ちます in the way there are for verbs like "to come" and "to go." The concept of the passage of time doesn't have a direct opposite. However, words related to "beginning" or "starting" can contrast with the idea of time passing.

日本へ来てから、もう五年間も経ちました。 ・Translation: Five years have already passed since I came to Japan. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 経ちました to indicate that five years have passed since the speaker arrived in Japan. The particle も (mo) emphasizes the length of time.

あの事件から、ずいぶんと時間が経ちましたね。 ・Translation: A lot of time has passed since that incident, hasn't it? ・Explanation: This example shows the usage of 経ちました in a more conversational context. ずいぶんと (zuibunto) means "quite a lot," emphasizing the significant time passed.

The kanji 経 originally means "to pass through," "to manage," or "to experience." It is used in numerous compound words related to time, history, and experience. The verb 経ちます directly reflects this meaning of the kanji, indicating the passage or experience of time. The etymology is associated with the idea of time moving "through" or "over" a certain period.