たつ (立つ): One Verb, Many Meanings (with Examples)
Why one verb has so many meanings
At N5 you'll meet たつ as 立つ, "to stand." But sound it out in a dictionary and you'll find three different kanji — 立つ, 建つ, 経つ — all read たつ. That looks like three random verbs, but there's one quiet image underneath them all: something rises up and is present.
A person rises from a chair and is standing there (立つ). A new building rises on an empty lot and stands there (建つ). Even time "rises up" and accumulates as it passes (経つ). Hold that "comes up and is there" picture and the trio stops feeling like three words to memorize — it's one idea wearing three kanji. One more structural note: all three are intransitive (they happen by themselves). Each has a transitive partner — 立てる, 建てる — for when someone makes it happen, which we'll compare at the end.
The meanings, most common first
1. To stand / stand up (立つ)
ヤッタンは椅子から立った。
ヤッタンは いすから たった。
Yattan stood up from the chair.
2. To stand (in a place) (立つ)
先生はドアの前に立っている。
せんせいは ドアの まえに たっている。
Sensei is standing in front of the door.
立っている = is standing (the resulting state), not the act of standing up.
3. To be useful — 役に立つ (立つ)
この辞書はとても役に立つ。
この じしょは とても やくに たつ。
This dictionary is very useful.
役に立つ is a fixed phrase — learn the three words as one chunk meaning 'is useful.'
4. To stand out / be noticeable — 目立つ (立つ)
モチの赤い帽子はよく目立つ。
モチの あかい ぼうしは よく めだつ。
Mochi's red hat really stands out.
目立つ literally 'eyes stand' = catches the eye / is conspicuous.
5. To be built / to stand — of a building (建つ) — N4
駅の前に新しいビルが建つ。
えきの まえに あたらしい ビルが たつ。
A new building is going up in front of the station.
建つ is the intransitive 'a building stands / gets built.' Slightly above N5.
6. To pass / elapse — of time (経つ) — N3
ヤッタンが日本語を始めてから3年が経った。
ヤッタンが にほんごを はじめてから さんねんが たった。
Three years have passed since Yattan started Japanese.
経つ is used only for time. A bit above N5 — recognize it for now.
Same sound, same "rise up and be there" image, three kanji. At N5 you really only need 立つ (stand) and the fixed phrases 役に立つ and 目立つ; 建つ and 経つ will come naturally a little later.
Common collocations worth memorizing
Some たつ phrases are so fixed that natives treat them as single units. Learn these as chunks:
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 役に立つ | to be useful / helpful |
| 目立つ | to stand out / be conspicuous |
| 席を立つ | to leave one's seat / get up |
| 腹が立つ | to get angry (lit. the stomach stands) |
| 計画を立てる | to make a plan (transitive partner) |
| 家を建てる | to build a house (transitive partner) |
Kanji & related たつ verbs
The base kanji is 立 ("to stand"). The other two read the same but are different verbs:
- 立つ (たつ, N5) — to stand / stand up; also 役に立つ, 目立つ, 腹が立つ
- 建つ (たつ, N4) — (a building) is built / stands
- 経つ (たつ, N3) — (time) passes / elapses
And don't confuse たつ with the look-alike verb たてる — that's the transitive partner, where someone actively does the standing-up:
- 立てる (たてる) — to stand something up / set up; also 計画を立てる (to make a plan)
- 建てる (たてる) — to build (a house, a building): 家を建てる
At N5, focus on 立つ plus the high-value fixed phrase 役に立つ.
立つ vs 建つ vs 経つ — same sound, three kanji
All three are read たつ and all are intransitive, but each belongs to its own subject. Pick the kanji by what is standing/rising:
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 立つ (stand) | A person or thing rises / is upright | ここに立つ = (I) stand here |
| 建つ (be built) | A building rises on a spot | 新しいビルが建つ = a new building goes up |
| 経つ (time passes) | Time elapses / accumulates | 3年が経つ = three years pass |
A quick way to feel it: if a person does it, it's 立つ; if a building does it, it's 建つ; if time does it, it's 経つ. And remember the transitive split: 立つ/建つ are intransitive (it happens), while 立てる/建てる are transitive (someone makes it happen) — 家が建つ ("a house is built") vs 家を建てる ("(I) build a house").
Quick recap
- One image powers all three: something rises up and is there.
- 立つ = stand (people/things), 建つ = a building stands/gets built (N4), 経つ = time passes (N3).
- High-value chunks: 役に立つ (useful), 目立つ (stand out), 腹が立つ (get angry).
- All three are intransitive Group 1 (う-)verbs; transitive partners are 立てる and 建てる.
Your turn
Ready to test your N5 vocabulary in context?
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Is たつ a ru-verb or u-verb?
たつ (立つ) is a Group 1 (う-verb / godan) verb: 立ち-ます, te-form 立って, negative 立たない. It is intransitive — something stands by itself.
What is the difference between 立つ, 建つ, and 経つ?
All are read たつ. 立つ is to stand (people or things). 建つ is for a building standing / being built (N4). 経つ is for time passing (N3). Pick the kanji by what the subject is.
What does 役に立つ mean?
役に立つ is a fixed phrase meaning 'to be useful / helpful' — for example この辞書は役に立つ ('this dictionary is useful'). Learn the three words as one chunk.
What is the difference between 立つ and 立てる?
立つ is intransitive (something stands on its own): ここに立つ = (I) stand here. 立てる is transitive (you stand something up or set it up): 計画を立てる = to make a plan.