Translation guide
The English phrasal verb "swallow up" has two main meanings: to physically engulf or consume something, and to cause something to disappear or be absorbed, often in a figurative sense. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for both.
To completely cover, absorb, or take in something, often with a sense of force or totality. Used for natural phenomena, large entities, or literal swallowing.
The most direct and common translation. Literally 'drink and swallow', it means to swallow something whole or to engulf. Used for both literal swallowing and figurative engulfing.
The tsunami swallowed up the entire village.
The giant snake swallowed its prey whole.
A variant kanji for 飲み込む, often used in literary or dramatic contexts. The character 呑 emphasizes the act of swallowing or engulfing.
The darkness swallowed up his figure.
Means 'to suck in' or 'to absorb'. Used when something is drawn into a space or substance, like a vacuum or a sponge.
The vacuum cleaner swallowed up the dust.
The ground swallowed up the rainwater.
Means 'to cover completely'. Used when something spreads over and hides or consumes an area, like fog or vegetation.
The fog swallowed up the town.
To make something vanish or be taken over, often in terms of resources, attention, or abstract entities. Common in business, economics, and everyday situations.
Also used figuratively for abstract things being absorbed or overwhelmed. Very versatile.
The large corporation swallowed up the small company.
Means 'to absorb' or 'to take in'. Commonly used for companies merging, resources being used up, or groups integrating.
Literally 'eat up completely'. Figuratively means to consume resources entirely, often with a negative connotation of greed or destruction.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to disappear completely'. Used when something vanishes as if swallowed, but focuses on the result rather than the agent.
飲み込む emphasizes the forceful or overwhelming nature of engulfing, often with a sense of totality. 吸収する is more neutral and systematic, focusing on absorption or integration. Use 飲み込む for dramatic or physical engulfing, and 吸収する for business, economics, or gradual absorption.
While 飲み込む can be used figuratively, it may sound odd if the context is not clearly overwhelming. For simple disappearance or absorption, consider 消える (disappear) or 吸収する (absorb) instead.
The darkness swallowed up the forest.
The new stadium swallowed up a huge amount of money.
彼の声は騒音に飲み込まれた。
His voice was swallowed up by the noise.
The project swallowed up most of the budget.
The big city swallowed up the surrounding towns.
Medical expenses swallowed up our savings.
His anxiety was swallowed up by the crowd.