太ります（ふとります、futorimasu）
- to gain weight

The Japanese verb 太ります means "to gain weight," "to become fat," or "to put on weight." It describes the process of increasing body weight, usually due to an increase in body fat. It implies a change in physical condition. This verb is an intransitive verb, meaning it doesn't take a direct object. In other words, you don't "fatten something" but rather "become fat" or “gain weight” yourself. The core idea is about increasing one's body size or mass. 太ります can be used in both formal and informal situations.

⚫︎ 最近、食べ過ぎて、太ります。 Translation: Recently, I've been eating too much, and I'm gaining weight. ⚫︎ 夏休みはたくさん食べて、太った。 Translation: I ate a lot during summer vacation and got fat. (太った is the past tense form.) ⚫︎ 運動不足で太ってしまいました。 Translation: I’ve gained weight because of lack of exercise. (太って is a conjugated form using the te-form.)

⚫︎You can use 太ります in conversations about health, diet, and physical condition. ⚫︎It's common to use this verb when discussing lifestyle changes that may lead to weight gain. ⚫︎It is typically used to talk about one's self or someone else, not objects. ⚫︎You might use it to express concern about gaining weight, explain a reason for weight gain, or state a general observation about a person's size.

⚫︎The verb 太ります is written in hiragana as ふとります. ⚫︎The kanji is 太, and it is usually written as 太ります. ⚫︎The stem of the verb is 太, and the okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) is ります. ⚫︎The verb conjugates regularly. Examples include: ⚫︎ Present: 太ります (ふとります) - will gain weight/gains weight ⚫︎ Past: 太りました (ふとりました) - gained weight ⚫︎ Negative present: 太りません (ふとりません) - will not gain weight/does not gain weight ⚫︎ Negative past: 太りませんでした (ふとりませんでした) - did not gain weight ⚫︎ The masu-stem (used for polite requests and commands): 太り (ふとり-) ⚫︎ The te-form: 太って (ふとって) - which often indicates the cause of something or connecting ideas.

⚫︎ 体重が増える (たいじゅうがふえる) - to gain weight (more formal) ⚫︎ 肥える (こえる) - to become fat (more literary or used for animals) ⚫︎ 太る (ふとる) - a casual/short form of 太ります, can be considered as the dictionary form.

⚫︎ 痩せます (やせます) - to lose weight, to become thin ⚫︎ 細くなります (ほそくなります) - to become thin, to slim down (literally "to become slender")

最近、甘いものをたくさん食べているので、太るのが心配です。 ・Translation: Recently, I've been eating a lot of sweets, so I'm worried about gaining weight. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses concern about a possible future outcome (gaining weight) due to a current behavior (eating sweets).

健康診断の結果を見て、太りすぎだと医者に言われました。 ・Translation: After seeing the results of my health checkup, the doctor told me I was too fat. ・Explanation: This example uses the adjective 太りすぎ (too fat) derived from the verb, to describe the doctor’s assessment.

The etymology of 太ります is rooted in the adjective 太い (ふとい), which means "fat," "thick," or "wide." The verb form 太る (ふとる), is derived from this adjective, and it indicates the process of becoming 太い. The -ます (masu) ending is a polite verb ending added to the stem 太.