Japanese

Noun

進歩 ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 進步, hiragana しんぽ, romaji shinpo)

1. progress; improvements in social welfare.
   • コンピューターは急速な進歩を遂げた。

     コンピューターはきゅうそくなしんぽをとげた。

     konpyūtā wa kyūsoku na shinpo o togeta.

     Computers have made rapid progress.

2. Personal progress, usually in the development of a skill.
   • その生徒の進歩は申し分ない。

     そのせいとのしんぽはもうしぶない。

     sono seito no shinpo wa moushibunai.

     The student’s progress is satisfactory.

Usage notes

進歩 is quite common as a verb (進歩する), and it is most easily understood in relation to the English word progress. It is frequently used in reference to social progress, particularly of a technological nature, and to personal progress in a skill. It is not generally used to refer to progress in other sorts of endeavors, such as a trip up a mountain (e.g., "Due to the blizzard, their progress was slow."), or of time in general (e.g., "As the evening progressed, the party became more chaotic.").

Verb

進歩する ‎(shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai kanji 進步, hiragana しんぽする, romaji shinpo suru)

1. To improve (in reference to a society's technological capability or general quality of life).
   • 医学はめざましく進歩している。

     いがくはめざましくしんぽしている。

     igaku wa mezamashiku shinpo shite iru.

     Progress in medicine is going ahead by leaps and bounds.

2. To advance in proficiency; to make progress in the development of a skill.
   • トムの日本語は少しずつ進歩している。

     トムのにほんごはすこしずつしんぽしている。

     Tomu no Nihongo wa sukoshi-zutsu shinpo shite iru.

     Tom’s Japanese is improving little by little.

Conjugation