Translation guide
The English word 'diminishing' describes something becoming smaller, less, or weaker. This guide covers how to express this idea naturally in Japanese, from simple adjectives to nuanced verbs and patterns.
The population is diminishing.
We need to diminish costs.
To say that something is getting smaller, fewer, or less intense over time.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to decrease' or 'to diminish' in number or amount. Commonly used for countable things, resources, or abstract quantities.
The population is diminishing.
My savings are steadily diminishing.
Formal suru-verb meaning 'to decrease' or 'to decline'. Often used in news, reports, or formal contexts.
Sales are diminishing.
Literally 'to become small'. Natural for physical size or scale diminishing.
The ice is gradually diminishing in size.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to weaken' or 'to abate'. Used for intensity, force, or power diminishing.
To express that someone or something is causing a decrease.
Transitive verb meaning 'to reduce' or 'to diminish' something. Used for cutting down numbers, amounts, or resources.
The specific phrase 'diminishing returns' in economics or general use.
To describe something slowly vanishing or becoming less noticeable.
Intransitive verb for feelings, memories, colors, or light fading or diminishing.
風が弱まってきた。
The wind is diminishing.
We need to diminish our expenses.
Let's diminish waste.
To make something smaller in size. Casual and straightforward.
Please diminish the photo size.
Transitive verb meaning 'to weaken' or 'to dampen'. Used for reducing intensity, force, or effect.
Please diminish the volume.
The economic term 'diminishing returns'. Formal and technical.
the law of diminishing returns
Specifically 'diminishing marginal utility' in economics.
the law of diminishing marginal utility
A natural way to express the concept of diminishing returns in everyday language: 'results stop coming in proportion to effort'.
If we do any more, we'll just get diminishing returns.
Literally 'to go out/disappear'. Emphasizes the process of vanishing.
Hope is diminishing.
Sales diminished. (formal)
While 減少する is correct, using it in casual chat can sound stiff. Use 減る or other simpler verbs unless the situation calls for formality.