縮ちぢまる

ち

ぢ

ま

る

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

shrink; become shorter; contract

Intransitive: the subject itself becomes smaller, shorter, or more contracted. Use 縮める for making something shorter or smaller deliberately.

セーターが洗せん濯たくで縮ちぢまった。
The sweater shrank in the wash.
寒さむさで体からだが縮ちぢまる。
My body curls up from the cold.

2

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

narrow; close; be reduced

Used when a gap, difference, distance, or interval becomes smaller, such as a lead in a race or emotional distance between people.

トップとの差さが少すこし縮ちぢまった。
The gap with the leader narrowed a little.
旅りょ行こうの後あと、二人ふたりの距きょ離りが縮ちぢまった。
After the trip, the distance between the two of them grew smaller.

Written forms

縮ちぢまるUsage92%
Standard kanji spelling for the intransitive verb meaning that something becomes shorter, smaller, or closer.
ちぢまるUsage8%

Kanji

縮shrink, contract, shrivel

Similar words

縮ちぢめる
Transitive counterpart: 縮まる means something becomes shorter or narrower by itself, while 縮める means someone shortens or narrows it.
縮ちぢむ
Also intransitive and often overlaps for physical shrinking; 縮まる is especially common for gaps, distances, and differences becoming smaller.
狭せばまる
Means a width, range, or choice narrows; 縮まる is broader and can refer to length, size, time, distance, or difference.

Etymology

Native Japanese verb ちぢまる written with 縮, a kanji conventionally associated with shrinking or contracting. The exact historical derivation is not specified.