引っ込む · godan verb (-mu)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 引っ込む | 引っ込まない |
| Polite | 引っ込みます | 引っ込みません |
| Past polite | 引っ込みました | 引っ込みませんでした |
| Past | 引っ込んだ | 引っ込まなかった |
| Te-form | 引っ込んで | 引っ込まないで |
| Desire | 引っ込みたい | 引っ込みたくない |
| Potential | 引っ込める | 引っ込めない |
| Passive | 引っ込まれる | 引っ込まれない |
| Causative | 引っ込ませる | 引っ込ませない |
| Causative passive | 引っ込ませられるalso 引っ込まされる | 引っ込ませられないalso 引っ込まされない |
| Volitional | 引っ込もう | |
| Polite volitional | 引っ込みましょう | |
| Imperative | 引っ込め | 引っ込むな |
| Conditional | 引っ込めば | 引っ込まなければ |
| Tara conditional | 引っ込んだら | 引っ込まなかったら |
godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
Physical movement of something retracting, receding, or collapsing inward. Used for body parts, objects, or surfaces.
The turtle pulled its head back in.
The ground caved in due to the earthquake.
godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
be set back; be recessed
Describes a building or structure that is positioned back from a road or boundary.
This house is set back from the road.
godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb
withdraw; retire; stay out of it
Figurative use: a person retreats from public view, stays indoors, or refrains from involvement. Often used in commands like 引っ込んでろ (butt out).
He retired to the countryside.
This doesn't concern you. Butt out.
This house is set back a bit from the road.
This isn't your business, so butt out!
The cat's claws retracted.
He has retired to the countryside and lives quietly.
退く is a more formal verb for withdrawing, often used in official or military contexts, while 引っ込む is everyday and casual.
引っ込む means to be set back or recede inward, the direct opposite of 出っ張る, which means to stick out.