Why Haven’t You Been Using 経たつ While Talking?

2019年6月12日2026年4月22日

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Yuka

I know 立つ means ‘to stand,’ but I’ve also seen 経つ with the same reading. What does 経つ mean?

Rei

Great distinction! 経つ (tatsu) means ‘time passes’ — it’s all about the passage of time. It’s a different word from 立つ (to stand) entirely, just sharing the same reading.

経つ (たつ / tatsu) is a verb meaning time passes or time elapses. It’s used specifically for time — you can’t use it for other kinds of passing. Native speakers use it naturally and frequently, but many learners overlook it in favor of less precise expressions.

Kanji	Reading	Meaning
経つ	たつ (tatsu)	Time passes / time elapses
立つ	たつ (tatsu)	To stand up / to rise
建つ	たつ (tatsu)	To be built (building/structure)

TOC

How to Use 経つ

経つ is always used with a time expression as the subject. The pattern is:

[Time period] + が経つ / が経った

Japanese	English
3年が経った。	Three years have passed.
時間が経つにつれて忘れていく。	As time passes, I gradually forget.
10年が経つと人は変わる。	People change as 10 years go by.
長い年月が経った。	A long time has passed.
どのくらい時間が経ちましたか？	How much time has elapsed?

Yuka

So 経つ is only for time? Not for anything else passing?

Rei

Correct! It’s exclusively for time elapsing. For other things ‘passing’ — like a car passing — you’d use 通る (tooru) or 過ぎる (sugiru).

経つ vs 過ぎる vs 経過する

All three can relate to time passing, but with different nuances:

Word	Reading	Nuance
経つ	たつ	Time has elapsed (simple, natural)
過ぎる	すぎる	Time passes/goes by (also: excessive)
経過する	けいかする	Time elapses (formal/medical/official)

Example comparisons:

3年が経った。→ Three years have passed. (natural, spoken)
3年が過ぎた。→ Three years have gone by. (slightly more emphasis on ‘gone’)
3年が経過した。→ Three years have elapsed. (formal/official/medical)

Yuka

So 経つ is the everyday natural way to talk about time passing?

Rei

Exactly. It’s the most neutral and natural. 過ぎる works too, but also has the ‘excessive’ meaning (食べ過ぎる = eat too much), while 経つ is purely about time.

Common Patterns with 経つ

Pattern	Example	English
〜が経つ	5年が経つ	5 years pass
〜が経った	1週間が経った	A week has passed
〜が経つにつれて	時が経つにつれて	As time goes by
〜が経てば	時が経てば	If time passes / Given time
〜ぶりに	10年ぶりに会った	We met for the first time in 10 years

Common Mistakes

Wrong: 車が経つ ← 経つ is only for time, not physical objects passing
Right: 車が通った ← use 通る for a car going by
Don’t confuse: 立つ (stand) vs 経つ (time passes) — check the kanji!

Quick Quiz

Fill in the blank with the correct form of 経つ:

1. 日本に来て5年が___。(5 years have passed since I came to Japan.)
2. 時が___につれて、痛みが和らいだ。(As time passed, the pain eased.)
3. どのくらい___ましたか？(How long has it been?)

Answers: 1. 経った 2. 経つ 3. 経ち

Summary

Word	Meaning	Use
経つ	Time passes / elapses	Natural spoken Japanese
過ぎる	Time goes by (also: excessive)	More emphasis on ‘going by’
経過する	Time elapses (formal)	Medical, official, business