取とり囲かこむ

と

り

か

こ

む

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

取り囲む · godan verb (-mu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	取とり囲かこむ	取とり囲かこまない
Polite	取とり囲かこみます	取とり囲かこみません
Past polite	取とり囲かこみました	取とり囲かこみませんでした
Past	取とり囲かこんだ	取とり囲かこまなかった
Te-form	取とり囲かこんで	取とり囲かこまないで
Desire	取とり囲かこみたい	取とり囲かこみたくない
Potential	取とり囲かこめる	取とり囲かこめない
Passive	取とり囲かこまれる	取とり囲かこまれない
Causative	取とり囲かこませる	取とり囲かこませない
Causative passive	取とり囲かこませられるalso 取とり囲かこまされる	取とり囲かこませられないalso 取とり囲かこまされない
Volitional	取とり囲かこもう
Polite volitional	取とり囲かこみましょう
Imperative	取とり囲かこめ	取とり囲かこむな
Conditional	取とり囲かこめば	取とり囲かこまなければ
Tara conditional	取とり囲かこんだら	取とり囲かこまなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

surround; encircle; crowd around

Used for people or things forming a circle around someone or something, physically or metaphorically. Can imply a hostile encirclement (besieging) or a friendly gathering.

記き者しゃたちが彼かれを取とり囲かこんだ。
The reporters surrounded him.
城しろを敵てき軍ぐんが取とり囲かこんでいる。
The enemy army is besieging the castle.
子こどもたちが先せん生せいを取とり囲かこんで話はなしを聞きいた。
The children gathered around the teacher and listened to the story.

See all 24 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が〈人ひと〉を取とり囲かこむfor a group of people to crowd around or surround someone
記き者しゃたちが有ゆう名めい人じんを取とり囲かこんだ。
The reporters crowded around the celebrity.
〈場ば所しょ〉を〈物もの〉が取とり囲かこむfor something (e.g. mountains, walls) to surround a place
山やまが湖みずうみを取とり囲かこんでいる。
Mountains surround the lake.
〈人ひと〉に取とり囲かこまれるto be surrounded by someone/something (passive)
彼かれはファンに取とり囲かこまれた。
He was surrounded by fans.

Kanji

取take, fetch, take up
囲surround, besiege, store

Related words

囲かこむN3
囲む is the general verb for 'to surround', while 取り囲む specifically emphasizes multiple people or things actively closing in around a target, often with a sense of crowding.
取とり巻まくN1
取り巻く often describes people or things forming an entourage or backdrop around someone (like fans around a star), while 取り囲む stresses the physical act of closing in from all sides.
包ほう囲いN1
包囲する is a formal, often military term for surrounding or besieging a target, whereas 取り囲む is the everyday word usable for both hostile and friendly situations.
ぐるっとN1
取り囲む is a verb meaning to surround something, while ぐるっと is an adverb describing the encircling manner, often used with a verb like 囲む.

Don't confuse with

取とり込こむN1
取り込む looks and sounds similar to 取り囲む but means 'to take in' or 'incorporate', not 'to surround'.

Built from

取とる+囲かこむ

Written forms

取とり囲かこむUsage74%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news and common usage.
とりかこむUsage11%
Kana spelling used for clarity or in informal writing.
とり囲かこむUsage11%
search-only kanji form
取とりかこむUsage4%
search-only kanji form
取とり囲かこむUsage1%
Less common variant without okurigana り; still encountered.

Etymology

Compound of 取り (tori, continuative form of 取る 'to take') + 囲む (kakomu 'to surround'). The prefix 取り adds a nuance of doing something thoroughly or with intent.