うつむく

う

つ

む

く

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

hang one's head; look down; cast one's eyes downward

usually written using kana alone

Describes lowering the head or gaze, often from shame, sadness, or deep thought. Intransitive; the subject is the person who looks down.

恥はずかしくて、ずっとうつむいていた。

I was so embarrassed that I kept looking down the whole time.

うつむくUsage70%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 俯く is also common but less frequent in everyday writing.
俯うつむくUsage26%
Standard kanji form; the character 俯 is not a Jōyō kanji, so kana is often preferred.
俯向うつむくUsage3%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; not a standard spelling.
うつ向むくUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; not a standard spelling.

下したを向むく
More literal 'to face downward'; うつむく carries a stronger nuance of drooping the head due to emotion.
俯うつぶせる
Means 'to lie face down'; うつむく is about lowering the head while standing or sitting.

The derivation is uncertain; the kanji 俯 means 'bend down' or 'look down', and the reading うつむく is a native Japanese verb.