学ぶ

From 真似(まな) (mana, “imitating, copying”) + ぶ (-bu, “to seem like, to act like”, verb-forming suffix). Cognate with 学ぶ (manebu).^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The initial mana might be a phonetic shift from mane, itself the continuative or stem nominal form of classical verb 真似 (manu, “to imitate, to copy”), from 真 (ma-, “true, real”) + 似 (nu, “copy, imitate”, lower bigrade conjugation; not attested in isolation).

First cited in the Nihon Shoki of 720.^[2]

The ぶ (-bu) suffix usually conjugated with the upper bigrade pattern (上(かみ)二(に)段活用(だんかつよう) (kami nidan katsuyō)), and manabu conjugated this way until the early Heian period (early 800s). Starting from the mid-Heian (roughly the 900s or 1000s), manabu shifted to conjugate using the classical yodan pattern, the precursor to the modern godan conjugation (五段活用(ごだんかつよう) (godan katsuyō)).^[2]

• (Tokyo) まなぶ [mànábú] (Heiban – [0])^[4][5][6]
• (Tokyo) まなぶ [mànáꜜbù] (Nakadaka – [2])^[4]
• IPA^(key): [ma̠na̠bɯ̟]

学(まな)ぶ • (manabu) godan (stem 学(まな)び (manabi), past 学(まな)んだ (mananda))

1. [from 720] to study

   地図(ちず)は私(わたし)たちが地理学(ちりがく)を学(まな)ぶ助(たす)けになる

   chizu wa watashitachi ga chirigaku o manabu tasuke ni naru

   A map helps us study geography

2. [from early 1000s] to learn (by being taught)

   私(わたし)たちは英語(えいご)の読(よ)み方(かた)を学(まな)びました

   watashitachi wa eigo no yomikata o manabimashita

   We learned how to read English

   • 1999, 2000, Front Mission 3, Square

     人類(じんるい)は何(なに)も学(まな)ばない

     jinrui wa nanimo manabanai

     Human never learns

3. [from late 900s] to learn (by imitating someone or something)

Middle Japanese until the early Heian period(early 800s):

Middle Japanese since the mid-Heian period (roughly the 900s or 1000s):

• 勉(べん)強(きょう)する (benkyō suru): (verb) study
• 学(がく)習(しゅう)する (gakushū suru): (verb) study; learn

• 研(けん)究(きゅう)する (kenkyū suru): (verb) research; study
• 習(なら)う (narau)

• “学ぶ”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[3] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025