Translation guide
The English verb 'ripen' refers to fruit or crops becoming mature and ready to eat or harvest. In Japanese, the most common way to express this is with the verb 熟す (jukusu) for fruit, or 実る (minoru) for crops. There are also expressions for ripening after harvest or for cheese and other foods.
To describe fruit naturally becoming mature and ready to eat on the plant or tree.
The most common verb for fruit ripening. Intransitive.
The persimmons are ripening.
トマトが真っ赤に熟した。
The tomatoes ripened to a bright red.
A more colloquial and common verb for fruit ripening. Intransitive.
このスイカ、もう熟れてるよ。
This watermelon is already ripe.
Used for grains, nuts, and fruit when emphasizing bearing fruit or a harvest. Intransitive.
今年はリンゴがたくさん実った。
The apple trees bore a lot of fruit this year.
To describe fruit being ripened after picking, or using a method to cause ripening.
Transitive verb meaning to ripen fruit after harvest, often by storing under certain conditions.
バナナは収穫後に追熟させる。
Bananas are ripened after harvest.
Transitive form of 熟す, meaning to ripen something. Less common than the intransitive form.
リンゴを袋に入れて熟させる。
Ripen the apples by putting them in a bag.
To describe the aging or maturing process of foods like cheese, miso, or sake.
Used for cheese, sake, miso, etc. meaning to mature or age. Intransitive.
このチーズは一年間熟成された。
This cheese was ripened for one year.
Literally 'to put to sleep', used colloquially for letting food or drink mature. Transitive.
カレーを一晩寝かせると美味しくなる。
Letting curry sit overnight makes it taste better.
To describe a person maturing in character or skill, often metaphorically.
Used for a person's character or skill becoming mellow and mature. Intransitive.
彼の演技は年々円熟してきた。
His acting has ripened over the years.
Both mean 'to ripen' for fruit. 熟す (jukusu) is slightly more formal and standard, while 熟れる (ureru) is more common in everyday speech. 熟れる is often used in the form 熟れてる (ureteru) to mean 'is ripe'.
While English can use 'ripen' metaphorically for people (e.g., 'his talent ripened'), Japanese 熟す is not used this way. Use 円熟する (enjukusuru) for artistic maturity, or 成長する (seichousuru) for general growth.