Translation guide
The English verb 'sink' has several core meanings: to descend in liquid, to fall or drop, to decline in value or condition, and to embed or invest. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each use, from physical sinking to metaphorical decline.
To go down below the surface of water or another liquid, or to cause something to do so.
Intransitive verb for something sinking on its own. Used for ships, objects, or people going under water.
Transitive verb for deliberately sinking something, like a ship or an object.
敵の船を沈めた。
They sank the enemy ship.
To be submerged or go underwater, often used for vehicles, buildings, or land during floods.
車が川に水没した。
The car sank into the river.
Literary term for sinking or setting, often used for the sun or moon.
太陽が西に没する。
The sun sinks in the west.
To move downward, often slowly, due to gravity or loss of support. Includes sinking into a chair or the ground.
To sink deeply into something soft, like a sofa or mud.
ソファに沈み込んだ。
I sank into the sofa.
To sink into a surface, leaving a dent; used for feet sinking into mud or a heavy object pressing into something.
To fall into a hole or depression; also used metaphorically for emotional sinking.
To decrease in amount, quality, or spirits. Includes economic decline, sinking hopes, and feeling down.
To feel depressed or down; also used for economic slumps.
失恋して落ち込んでいる。
I'm feeling down after the breakup.
景気が落ち込んでいる。
The economy is in a slump.
Metaphorical sinking of spirits or mood; often used for a gloomy atmosphere.
気分が沈む。
My spirits sink.
To decline or drop, used for levels, quality, or value.
品質が低下した。
The quality sank.
Specifically for prices or stock values falling.
株価が下落した。
Stock prices sank.
To put something firmly into a surface or to invest resources into something.
To sink a post or stake into the ground; also used for sinking money into a project.
柱を地面に沈めた。
They sank the post into the ground.
彼は全財産をその事業に沈めた。
He sank all his money into that business.
To drive in, like a nail or stake; also means to devote oneself to something.
To pour money or effort into something, often with a nuance of investing heavily.
To fully understand or become aware of something, often after a delay.
To feel the reality of something; the realization sinks in.
やっと合格の実感が湧いてきた。
It's finally sinking in that I passed.
Understanding deepens; the meaning sinks in.
時間が経つにつれて理解が深まった。
As time passed, it sank in.
To have a sudden realization; to click. Often used in negative form when something doesn't sink in.
説明を聞いてもピンと来なかった。
Even after hearing the explanation, it didn't sink in.
While 沈む can be used for mood, it's more natural to use 落ち込む for feeling depressed. 沈む often sounds literary or dramatic for personal feelings.
沈む is intransitive (something sinks by itself), while 沈める is transitive (someone sinks something). Use the correct one based on whether there's an agent causing the sinking.
足が泥にめり込んだ。
My feet sank into the mud.
地面が落ち込んでいる。
The ground has sunk in.
杭を地面に打ち込んだ。
They sank the stake into the ground.
新事業に資金をつぎ込んだ。
They sank funds into the new venture.