Translation guide
The act of placing something underground, covering it with earth, or hiding it. This guide covers common Japanese expressions for burying objects, people, or abstract things.
To place something or someone into a hole and cover with earth, soil, or sand.
The most common verb for burying something in the ground. Transitive verb.
The dog buried a bone in the garden.
They buried a treasure chest on the beach.
Formal term for burying a dead body, used in official or ceremonial contexts.
The remains were buried in the cemetery.
Intransitive verb meaning to be buried or to sink into the ground, often used for objects or ruins.
The ancient city was buried in volcanic ash.
To cover something completely with a substance like snow, leaves, or paperwork, not necessarily in a hole.
Intransitive verb meaning to be buried or covered by something, often used for being buried in snow, work, or clutter.
The car was buried in snow.
Can also be used transitively to mean covering something with a substance, like filling a hole or covering with sand.
To suppress or hide emotions, memories, or information.
Literally 'to put away deep in one's chest', meaning to bury feelings or secrets inside oneself.
I buried that sadness deep inside.
To sink something to the bottom of one's heart, implying burying a memory or emotion.
Literally 'to bury' or 'to consign to oblivion', used metaphorically for burying the past or a secret.
To immerse oneself completely in work, study, or a hobby.
埋める (umeru) is transitive: someone buries something. 埋もれる (umoreru) is intransitive: something gets buried or is in a buried state. Use 埋める when you are doing the burying, and 埋もれる when describing the state of being covered.
I buried the treasure.
The treasure is buried in the sand.
English often uses 'bury' metaphorically (bury the hatchet, bury your head in the sand). These rarely translate directly with 埋める. Instead, use specific Japanese idioms or verbs like 葬る (to bury the past) or 見て見ぬふりをする (to bury one's head in the sand).
The desk is buried under documents.
I filled the hole with sand.
He buried that memory deep in his heart.
過去を葬り去る。
To bury the past.