The Meaning of herikudaru [謙る] In Japanese

謙る
へりくだる
Romaji: herikudaru N2

What does 謙る mean?

Translation and Meaning

humble oneself, be humble, defer to others

Definition

謙る means to humble oneself or to behave in a modest, deferential way. It describes lowering one’s status or speaking and acting with modesty to show respect to others in formal or ceremonial contexts.

Type

verb (godan, ru-verb)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • to be humble or modest, especially in speech or tone
  • to defer to others or acknowledge someone superior in conversation or social situations
  • to lower one’s status through language or actions, often in formal or ceremonial contexts

Etymology

謙 + る forming a verb; the kunyomi reading is へりくだる

Composition

  • 謙: humility, modesty; combined with the verb ending る yields a verb that expresses the act of humbling oneself

Usage

Used in formal or ceremonial Japanese to describe lowering oneself in attitude or language; typically used in self-deprecating statements, deferential speech, or honorific contexts; common in written statements, business communications, and formal speech.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a person bowing and speaking softly; the kanji 謙 associates humility with speech and polite conduct, helping you recall 謙る as ‘to humble oneself’

Variations

  • 謙遜する (けんそんする) — be humble
  • へりくだる (へりくだる) — to humble oneself
  • 卑下する (ひげする) — to belittle oneself

Example Phrases

  • 会議で彼は謙る姿勢を皆に示した。
    Kaigi de kare wa herikudaru shisei o mina ni shimeshita.
    At the meeting, he showed a humble attitude.
    Lista:
    • 会議で (kaigi de) – at the meeting
    • 彼は (kare wa) – he
    • 謙る (herikudaru) – to humble oneself
    • 姿勢 (shisei) – posture
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 皆に (mina ni) – to everyone
    • 示した (shimeshita) – showed
    謙る means ‘to humble oneself.’ Here it appears in its dictionary form to modify the noun phrase 「謙る」姿勢, meaning ‘a humble posture.’
謙る