JLPT N3Everyday

込こむin, into; deep in

込こむ adds "in" to another verb: jump in, push in, write in. In a second group of words, someone sinks deep into a state: lost in thought, gone silent, feeling down.

in

選せん手しゅが合あい図ずと同どう時じにプールへ飛とび込こんだ。

At the signal, the athlete dove into the pool.

deep in

彼かれは質しつ問もんされると、しばらく考かんがえ込こんだ。

When he was asked the question, he sank deep into thought for a while.

How to form it

Verb ます-stem + 込こむ

飛とびます → 飛とび込こむ. What it goes into takes に or へ: プールに飛とび込こむ. Only some verbs take it; common ones are listed below.

Before it: For "in", a verb of moving or putting: 飛とぶ, 押おす, 書かく, 吸すう. For "deep in", something you can sink into: 考かんがえる, 眠ねむる, 黙だまる.
After it: The "deep in" words often come as 込こんでいる or 込こんでしまう: 落おち込こんでいる.
Where you'll meet it: Everywhere, forms and signs included: 申もうし込こみ書しょ (an application form), 持もち込こみ禁きん止し (not to be brought in).

Ones you'll meet

The meaning often can't be guessed from the two parts. Most of the ones people say are fixed words, best learned as words.

申もうし込こむapply, sign up

来らい月げつの日本にほん語ごの試し験けんに申もうし込こんだ。

I've signed up for next month's Japanese exam.

書かき込こむwrite in, fill in

予よ定ていをカレンダーに書かき込こんだ。

I wrote my plans into the calendar.

思おもい込こむbe convinced, assume

今日きょうは休やすみだと思おもい込こんでいた。

I was convinced today was a day off.

Sure of it without checking, and usually wrong. Thinking long and hard is 考かんがえ込こむ.

落おち込こむfeel down, get depressed

試し合あいに負まけて、弟おとうとは落おち込こんでいる。

My little brother is feeling down after losing the match.

黙だまり込こむfall silent, clam up

知しらせを聞きくと、彼かの女じょは急きゅうに黙だまり込こんだ。

When she heard the news, she suddenly fell silent.

込こむ alone is "be crowded"

With no verb before it, 込こむ means to be crowded. These days that is mostly written 混こむ: 電でん車しゃが混こんでいる.

Close neighbours

出すN4

After a verb stem 出だす is often a sudden start, but in many everyday words it is "out", the other direction: 飛とび出だす (jump out), 取とり出だす (take out).

子こどもが急きゅうに道どう路ろに飛とび出だした。

A child suddenly ran out into the road.

を込めてN2

込こめる is another verb: to put feeling, care or strength into what you do.

心こころを込こめて手て紙がみを書かきました。

I wrote the letter with all my heart.

Check yourself

1What happened?

窓まどを開あけたら、虫むしが部屋へやに飛とび込こんできた。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What does this say?

彼かの女じょは、私わたしが怒おこっていると思おもい込こんでいる。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

読よみ込こむ is to read something closely, more than once.

試し験けんの前まえに教きょう科か書しょをじっくり読よみ込こんだ。

Before the exam, I studied the textbook closely.

More sentences

作さ業ぎょう員いんは大おおきな箱はこを棚たなの奥おくに押おし込こんだ。

The worker pushed the large box into the back of the shelf.

冷つめたい風かぜが窓まどから吹ふき込こんできた。

A cold wind blew in through the window.

スタッフが機き材ざいを車くるまに積つみ込こんだ。

The staff loaded the equipment into the car.

答こたえが出でず、一人ひとりで考かんがえ込こんでしまった。

I couldn't find an answer and ended up brooding over it by myself.