Translation guide
The English word 'shrinking' can refer to physical reduction in size, a decrease in quantity or degree, or the act of recoiling or drawing back. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each of these meanings.
To describe something getting smaller in size, such as clothes, objects, or living things.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to shrink' or 'to contract'. Used for things that become smaller on their own, like fabric or a balloon.
This sweater shrank in the wash.
The balloon is gradually shrinking.
Literally 'to become small'. A very common and natural way to say something is shrinking, especially in casual speech.
My T-shirt shrank after I washed it.
Technical or formal term for contraction or shrinkage, often used in scientific or business contexts.
This material shrinks with heat.
To describe a reduction in numbers, size of a group, economic figures, or intensity of something.
Transitive/intransitive verb meaning 'to reduce' or 'to shrink' in scale, scope, or size. Common in news and business.
The company is shrinking its operations.
The market is shrinking.
Means 'to decrease' or 'to diminish'. Used for numbers, amounts, or quantities.
The population is shrinking.
Casual verb meaning 'to decrease' or 'to become less'. Often used in everyday conversation.
To describe a person recoiling, cringing, or flinching, often due to fear, shock, or revulsion.
To cower, flinch, or shrink back in fear. Often used for a strong, instinctive reaction.
He shrank back when he was yelled at.
To flinch, recoil, or shrink from something intimidating. Often used when someone hesitates out of fear.
To recoil or stagger back, often from surprise or shock. Slightly literary.
縮む (chijimu) is intransitive and describes physical shrinking, like clothes or balloons. 縮小する (shukushō suru) can be transitive or intransitive and is used for abstract or large-scale reduction, like budgets or markets.
While 縮む can metaphorically mean 'to shrink', it is not used for a person recoiling in fear. Use 縮み上がる or ひるむ instead.
My savings are shrinking fast.
She doesn't shrink from difficulties.
彼はその光景にたじろいだ。
He shrank back at the sight.