ジョンは収入を越えた生活をしている。

Sentence Discussions Japanese
#1
English Translation

John lives above his means.

Is there a difference between using 超える vs. 越える?

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#2

@TisYanni
Good catch! 超 is the right Kanji in this context. Native speakers often get easily confused with the difference between 超える and 越える.

  • A conceptual image of 超 is a vertical threshold while that of 越 is a wall that blocks your horizontal move.
  • 超 (to exceed/outstand) is used for scale or a quantitative degree. If a topic of sentence is something that you can count or calculate mathematically, 超 is the one you use.
  • 越 (to pass by/go beyond/overcome) comes along with the image of “boundaries” or “barriers” that you are supposed to overcome/deal with/break through, or “limitation” within which you should constrain yourself. 越 is used in both geological and psychological contexts.
  • Some compound words (熟語) cannot simply be categorized by this dichotomy, though.

Example sentences:

  • ジョンは100キロ超級の柔道選手だ。- John plays judo in over 100kg category.
  • トムって、超おもしろいよね。- Tom is a super hilarious guy, isn’t he?
  • エレベーターは定員超過に達したため、ブザーが鳴りました。(pron. ていいんちょうか) - More people got on the elevator than its capacity, so the alarm got on.
  • 夫の浪費癖にメアリ―は我慢の限界が超え、とうとう怒鳴りつけた。(pron. ろうひぐせ、がまん、げんかい、どなり) = Her husband’s overspending went beyond the limit of Mary’s patience and she finally scolded at him.
  • お探しのパン屋は次の信号を越えたところにありますよ。- The bakery you are looking for is over the next light.
  • 彼は2日前まで危篤状態だったが、峠は越したようだ。(pron. きとくじょうたい、とおげ、こす) = Although he was in critical conditions two days ago, he is now recovering. (Note: 峠 is an old-fashioned expression of the peak of a mountain/hill. 峠を越す is a frequent term for “to peak out”.)
  • 今回の大統領令は権限を越えていると有識者から批判された。(pron. だいとうりょうれい、けんげん、ゆうしきしゃ、ひはん) - Pandits criticized the President Executive Order for an ultra vires act. (Note: 越権行為だと批判された is also frequently used.)
  • 不法移民が国境を越えて流入し続けている。(pron. ふほういみん、こっきょう、りゅうにゅう) - Illegal immigrants are continuously crossing the boarder.

Balancing between one’s income and expenditure is a matter of calculation. So, 超 is the right one for 収入を超える.

Further readings:

  • Article about the difference between 超える and 越える by NHK
  • Article about the difference between 超える and 越える by Shogakukan (issuer of a reputable Japanese dictionary)
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