The Meaning of (naraberu) [並べる] In Japanese

並べる
ならべる
Romaji: (naraberu) N5

What does 並べる mean?

Translation and Meaning

to line up, to arrange, to lay out

Definition

What does 並べる mean? It means to place items in a line or order, organizing them by sequence or alignment so they can be viewed or analyzed together.

Type

verb (ru-verb, ichidan)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • to place items side by side in a row or column
  • to arrange in a specific order or layout, often for display
  • to juxtapose ideas, data, or elements for comparison

Etymology

naraberu is formed by attaching the transitive suffix -eru to the stem of 並, turning the intransitive sense into a transitive verb; the pronunciation preserves the narabe- cluster before the final -ru in modern Japanese phonology.

Composition

  • 並: to line up; to arrange; to compare; to equalize
  • べる: verb-ending that marks a transitive action, turning the idea into ‘to cause to be arranged’

Usage

Used across speaking and writing, in casual to formal registers. It takes a direct object (を) for physical items, and is common in contexts like arranging products, lining up people, or organizing data; typical phrases include 商品を棚に並べる, 人を並べる, 表に項目を並べる.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize several objects placed in a neat row beside the kanji 並, which embodies the idea of parallel alignment, then associate the -eru ending as the standard transitive verb form that turns the concept into ‘to arrange for someone or something to be in a line.’

Variations

  • 整列する (seiretsu suru) — to line up in neat order
  • 並べ替える (narabekaeru) — to reorder or sort
  • 並ぶ (narabu) — to line up (intransitive)
  • 散らす (chirau) — to scatter (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 私はキッチンで皿を並べるのを手伝う。
    Watashi wa kicchin de sara o naraberu no o tetsudau.
    I help to arrange the dishes in the kitchen.
    Lista:
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I (topic)
    • キッチンで (kicchin de) – in the kitchen
    • 皿を (sara o) – dish
    • 並べる (naraberu) – to arrange
    • の (no) – nominalizer
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 手伝う (tetsudau) – to help
    Core: the transitive verb 「並べる」 takes を; here 「皿を並べるのを手伝う」 means ‘to help arrange the dishes’.
並べる