成程

成程

Japanese

Kanji in this term
成	程
な(る) Grade: 4	ほど Grade: 5
kun’yomi

Alternative spellings
成る程 なるほど 成るほど

Alternative forms

• (slang) なるへそ, なるヘソ (naru heso) (literally "becoming a belly button")
• (Internet slang, short) なる (naru), なるほ (naruho)

Etymology

From 成(な)る (naru, “become”) + 程(ほど) (hodo, “as much as, degree, extent”). First cited in a text from 1480.[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) なるほど [nàrúhódó] (Heiban – [0])[2]
• IPA^(key): [na̠ɾɯ̟ᵝho̞do̞]

Interjection

成(なる)程(ほど) • (naru hodo) 

1. I see!; Indeed!; Aha!
   • 1906, Natsume Sōseki, Botchan‎:

     なるほど碌(ろく)なものにはならない。

     Naru hodo roku na mono ni wa naranai.

     Exactly; I have never amounted to much.

References

1. “成程”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN