How to say 'Cross' or 'Surpass' in Japanese | 越す

Wondering how to say 'Cross' or 'Surpass' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Cross or Surpass is 'Kosu', written as 越す in Japanese.'Cross' or 'Surpass' in hiragana is こす.

word

越す

Meaning

Cross, Surpass

Reading

こす

kosu

Kanji

越Go across, Go beyond

Explanation

The Japanese verb '越す (こす)' has two primary meanings. The first is 'to cross', as in physically moving from one side to another, such as crossing a river or a border. For example: we crossed the river「川を越した」(かわをこした). The second meaning is 'to surpass' or 'to exceed', often used in contexts involving limits, expectations, or time. For example: he surpassed his limits「彼は限界を越した」(かれはげんかいをこした). This verb is versatile and can be used in both literal and figurative contexts. Note that the kanji 越 is often associated with the idea of going beyond or transcending something.

Part Of Speech

verb

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

5932

Composition

kanji-hiragana

Handwriting

This word is a godan verb. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 越す

This word contains 1 kanji character:

kanji

越

Meaning

Go across, Go beyond

Hiragana in the Word 越す

This word contains 1 Hiragana character :

hiragana

す

Reading

Words Related to 越す Through the Kanji 越

These 7 Words contain the Kanji 越 as well.

word

引っ越す

Meaning

Move

word

引っ越し

Meaning

Moving

word

追い越す

Meaning

Overtake

word

越える

Meaning

Exceed, Cross

word

乗り越える

Meaning

Overcome

word

乗り越し

Meaning

Overriding

word

乗り越す

Meaning

Overcome, Overshoot

Learn the Word 越す

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What does 'Kosu' (越す) mean?

'Kosu' means 'Cross' or 'Surpass' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.