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Kotomora

凝

congeal, freeze, stiff, be absorbed in

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes16

Readings

On'yomi

  • ギョウ

Kun'yomi

  • こ.る
  • こ.らす
  • こご.らす
  • こご.らせる
  • こご.る

Meaning

凝 centers on a substance or state becoming thick, solid, or fixed: liquids congealing or freezing, muscles stiffening, or the mind being so absorbed in something that it becomes rigidly focused.

Most common words using 凝

20 of 69
  • 凝りしこり

    muscle stiffness (esp. in shoulders)

  • 凝るこる
    N2

    to become stiff (of muscles)

  • 凝縮ぎょうしゅく

    condensation (of ideas, emotions, etc.); concentration

  • 凝固ぎょうこ

    coagulation; freezing; solidification

  • 凝視ぎょうし

    stare; gaze; fixation

  • 凝らすこらす
    N1

    to concentrate; to focus on; to devote; to apply oneself

  • 凝るしこる

    to stiffen; to harden

  • 凝集ぎょうしゅう

    agglomeration; clumping together

  • 凝結ぎょうけつ

    solidification; congelation; freezing; curdling; setting

  • 凝り性こりしょう

    tendency to become totally absorbed in something; monomania; perfectionism; fastidiousness; meticulousness

  • 凝るこごる
    N1

    to congeal; to gelatinize; to jellify; to jell; to gell; to freeze

  • 凝灰岩ぎょうかいがん

    tuff

  • 凝ったこった

    elaborate; exquisite; ornate; refined; sophisticated

  • 凝らすこごらす
    N1

    to freeze; to congeal

  • ボースアインシュタイン凝縮ボースアインシュタインぎょうしゅく

    Bose-Einstein condensate

  • メラニン凝集ホルモンメラニンぎょうしゅうホルモン

    melanin-concentrating hormone

  • 凝っては思案に能わずこってはしあんにあたわず

    too much thinking gets you nowhere; excessive enthusiasm clouds one's judgment

  • 凝らせるこごらせる

    to freeze; to congeal

  • 凝りこごり

    congelation; congealment; jelly

  • 凝りだすこりだす

    to be into something (e.g. a hobby)

Explore all words using 凝 →

Study

Etymology

凝 combines the ice radical 冫 with 疑, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of something becoming fixed or congealed. The exact historical development of the right side is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The ice radical 冫 on the left suggests coldness, while the right side 疑 looks like a person frozen in doubt. Imagine a liquid turning to ice and becoming stiff, or a person so absorbed they are frozen in place.

Reading mnemonic

For ギョウ, picture a giant block of ice congealing around a person named Gyo: Gyo -> ギョウ, and the ice freezes him solid.