凹くぼみ

also: へこみ

く

ぼ

み

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Refers to a sunken or indented area on a surface, such as a dent in metal, a hollow in the ground, or a depression in a shape. Both くぼみ and へこみ are used, with へこみ often sounding more casual or physical.

車くるまのドアに小ちいさな凹くぼみができた。
There's a small dent in the car door.
地じ面めんの凹くぼみに水みずがたまっている。
Water is collecting in a hollow in the ground.

See all 35 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉に凹くぼみができるa dent forms in something
ドアに凹くぼみができてしまった。
A dent formed in the door.
凹くぼみを直なおすto fix/repair a dent
車くるまの凹くぼみを直なおしてもらった。
I had the dent in my car fixed.
〈物もの〉に凹くぼみがあるthere is a dent/hollow in something
この地じ面めんには浅あさい凹くぼみがある。
There is a shallow depression in this ground.
〈物もの〉に凹くぼみをつけるto put a dent in something
ぶつかって缶かんに凹くぼみをつけてしまった。
I bumped into it and put a dent in the can.

Kanji

凹concave, hollow, sunken
窪depression, cave in, sink

Related words

陥かん没ぼつ
陥没 describes a larger-scale caving-in or subsidence (e.g. of a road or the ground), while 凹み is the general word for any dent or hollow, big or small.

Opposites

膨ふくらみ
凹み is a sunken indentation while 膨らみ is a bulge or swelling that sticks outward.
でこ
凸(でこ) refers to a raised bump or protrusion, while 凹み refers to a hollow or dent, the opposite shape.

Don't confuse with

穴あなN3
穴 is a hole that goes all the way through or into something, whereas 凹み is a shallow indentation on a surface that does not pierce through.

Counted with

箇か所しょN2
Used when referring to a dent/depression as a spot or point of damage, rather than as a countable object.

Written forms

凹みUsage14%
- くぼみ
  Common kanji spelling for the reading くぼみ. Also read へこみ with a similar meaning.
- へこみ
  Reading へこみ for the same kanji form; often used for dents or hollows, especially in informal contexts.
くぼみUsage49%
窪くぼみUsage25%
Alternate kanji spelling for くぼみ; common.
へこみUsage10%
ヘコミUsage2%
クボミUsage<1%

Etymology

Derived from the verb くぼむ (to become hollow). The reading へこみ comes from へこむ, which is likely a sound-symbolic variation. The kanji 凹 is a pictograph of a concave shape.