越こす

こ

す

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

cross over; go across

Used for physically crossing a boundary, obstacle, or geographical feature such as a mountain, river, or border.

山やまを越こすと、小ちいさな村むらが見みえた。
After crossing the mountain, we saw a small village.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

get over; overcome

Used for overcoming difficulties, hardships, or crises. Often appears with nouns like 困難, 危機, or 冬.

彼かれは多おおくの困こん難なんを越こして成せい功こうした。
He overcame many difficulties and succeeded.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

pass (time); spend (a period)

Used for getting through a period of time, especially a season or a difficult stretch. Common with 冬, 年, or 時期.

今年ことしの冬ふゆを越こすのは大たい変へんだった。
Getting through this winter was tough.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

surpass; exceed; be better than

Only when written 超す

Indicates going beyond a standard, limit, or another person. The kanji 超す is often used for this sense.

彼かれの成せい績せきはクラスの平へい均きんを超こしている。
His grades exceed the class average.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

move house; relocate

Standard verb for moving from one residence to another. Often used in the phrase 引っ越す, but 越す alone is also common.

来らい月げつ、大おお阪さかに越こす予よ定ていです。
I plan to move to Osaka next month.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

go; come

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Honorific verb used to describe the movement of someone respected. Often appears as お越しになる or in set phrases like お越しください.

Written forms

越こすUsage84%
Standard kanji for crossing over, passing time, moving house, and honorific uses. Also used for surpassing, though 超す is more common there.
超こすUsage15%
Preferred kanji for surpassing or exceeding.
こすUsage1%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the intended kanji nuance is not important.

Kanji

越surpass, cross over, move to
超transcend, super-, ultra-

Similar words

渡わたる
渡る is intransitive and focuses on crossing a bridge, river, or sea, while 越す is transitive and often implies crossing over an obstacle or boundary.
超こえる
超える is intransitive and means 'to exceed' or 'to go beyond', whereas 越す/超す is transitive and takes a direct object.
引ひっ越こす
引っ越す is the more common compound for moving house, while 越す alone is slightly more formal or literary.

Etymology

The verb 越す (こす) is a native Japanese word. The kanji 越 carries the core meaning of 'crossing over' or 'surpassing', while 超 emphasizes 'exceeding'. The honorific use developed from the idea of someone coming over a distance.