Difference Between 及ぶ (およぶ) and 達成する (たっせいする)

February 4, 2025

Both 及ぶ and 達成する can relate to "reaching" or "achieving" something, but they have distinct nuances and usage contexts.

1. 及ぶ (およぶ) – "To Extend to / To Reach"

及ぶ means "to reach," "to extend to," or "to amount to."
It is more neutral and broad, often referring to extent, influence, range, or duration.
及ぶ is not necessarily about achievement but rather about something naturally reaching a certain point or level.

彼の影響は世界中に及ぶ。
– "His influence extends worldwide."
(Focus: Range/extent of influence, not an achievement.)
その被害は全国に及んだ。
– "The damage extended across the entire country."
(Focus: How far the effect reached.)
手術は５時間に及んだ。
– "The surgery lasted five hours."
(Focus: Duration, not an accomplishment.)
彼の収入は年収1000万円に及ぶ。
– "His annual income reaches 10 million yen."
(Focus: The level reached, not an accomplishment.)

及ぶ is neutral and does not imply an intentional achievement.
It is often used for extent, coverage, or duration rather than goals or accomplishments.

達成する means "to achieve" or "to accomplish" a specific goal, target, or objective.
It implies effort, intention, and success.
It is commonly used in business, personal achievements, and goal-setting contexts.

彼は目標を達成した。
– "He achieved his goal."
(Focus: A goal was successfully accomplished.)
売上目標を達成する。
– "To achieve the sales target."
(Focus: Business success and intentional effort.)
ついに夢を達成した！
– "I finally achieved my dream!"
(Focus: A long-term goal accomplished.)
プロジェクトは無事に達成された。
– "The project was successfully completed."
(Focus: Successful completion of a planned task.)

達成する always implies success and effort toward a goal.
It is commonly used with goals (目標), dreams (夢), and milestones (売上目標, 成績, etc.).

Word	Meaning	Key Nuance	Common Usage
及ぶ (およぶ)	"To reach," "to extend to," "to amount to"	Neutral, describes extent, influence, or duration, not necessarily an achievement	Influence, damage, duration, numbers (影響, 被害, 期間, 収入)
達成する (たっせいする)	"To achieve," "to accomplish"	Implies success and effort, achieving a goal	Goals, business targets, personal achievements (目標, 夢, 売上, 計画)

If something naturally reaches a point or extends in range → Use 及ぶ.
- ✅ 影響が世界中に及ぶ。 (The influence reaches worldwide.)
- ❌ 影響が世界中に達成する (Wrong – influence is not an "achievement.")
If something is an accomplishment through effort → Use 達成する.
- ✅ 目標を達成する。 (To achieve a goal.)
- ❌ 目標に及ぶ。 (Wrong – goals are achieved, not just "reached.")

彼の年収は1000万円に及ぶ。
– "His annual income reaches 10 million yen." (Just stating the amount, no effort implied.)
彼は年収1000万円を達成した。
– "He achieved an annual income of 10 million yen." (Implies he worked hard to reach that income.)

及ぶ is about "reaching" or "extending" naturally (extent, range, or duration).
達成する is about achieving something intentionally through effort (goals, dreams, milestones).

If you’re talking about an achievement, use 達成する. If you’re talking about something reaching a level naturally, use 及ぶ!