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Kotomora

滞

stagnate, be delayed, overdue, arrears

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • タイ
  • テイ

Kun'yomi

  • とどこお.る

Meaning

滞 centers on something that should be moving or progressing but is instead stuck: water that stagnates, a schedule that is delayed, payments that are overdue, or tasks that fall into arrears.

Most common words using 滞

20 of 66
  • 滞在たいざい
    N3

    stay; sojourn

  • 渋滞じゅうたい
    N3

    (traffic) congestion; traffic jam; gridlock

  • 停滞ていたい
    N1

    stagnation; tie-up; standstill; congestion; delay; accumulation; falling into arrears

  • 滞納たいのう
    N1

    falling behind (with a payment); being in arrears; non-payment; default; delinquency

  • 滞るとどこおる
    N1

    to stagnate; to be delayed; to be left undone

  • 延滞えんたい
    N1

    arrears; (being) overdue; delay (e.g. in payment); procrastination

  • 滞りとどこおり

    stagnation; hindrance; delay

  • 遅滞ちたい

    delay; procrastination

  • 滞留たいりゅう

    stagnation; standstill; accumulation; pile-up

  • 滞空たいくう

    staying in the air; remaining airborne

  • 沈滞ちんたい

    stagnation; inactivity

  • 滞在中たいざいちゅう

    during a stay

  • うっ滞うったい

    congestion; stagnation; stasis

  • 不法滞在ふほうたいざい

    illegal residence (in a country); illegal stay; illegal overstaying (of a visa)

  • 不法滞在者ふほうたいざいしゃ

    illegal resident (in a country); illegal alien; illegal overstayer (person who has overstayed their visa)

  • 事故渋滞じこじゅうたい

    congestion caused by a traffic accident

  • 交通渋滞こうつうじゅうたい

    traffic congestion; traffic jam; (traffic) deadlock

  • 停滞前線ていたいぜんせん

    stationary weather front

  • 停滞期ていたいき

    plateau (e.g. in weight loss); (period of) stagnation

  • 凝滞ぎょうたい

    delay

Explore all words using 滞 →

Study

Etymology

滞 combines 氵 (water) with 带, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of something long and continuous. The compound suggests water that is not flowing freely, hence stagnation.

Meaning mnemonic

Water 氵 beside a long belt-like shape 带: imagine a river that has become tangled like a belt, unable to flow, so it stagnates and everything is delayed.

Reading mnemonic

For タイ, picture a tie (ネクタイ) caught in a stagnant pond: tie -> タイ, and the water is stuck.