朽くちる

く

ち

る

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

朽ちる · ichidan verb

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	朽くちる	朽くちない
Polite	朽くちます	朽くちません
Past polite	朽くちました	朽くちませんでした
Past	朽くちた	朽くちなかった
Te-form	朽くちて	朽くちないで
Desire	朽くちたい	朽くちたくない
Potential	朽くちられるalso 朽くちれる	朽くちられないalso 朽くちれない
Passive	朽くちられる	朽くちられない
Causative	朽くちさせる	朽くちさせない
Causative passive	朽くちさせられる	朽くちさせられない
Volitional	朽くちよう
Polite volitional	朽くちましょう
Imperative	朽くちろ	朽くちるな
Conditional	朽くちれば	朽くちなければ
Tara conditional	朽くちたら	朽くちなかったら

Meanings

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

rot; decay

Physical decay of organic matter, wood, or structures. Often used for things breaking down over time.

古ふるい木きの橋はしが朽くちてしまった。
The old wooden bridge has rotted away.
落おち葉ばは土つちに還かえるまでに朽くちる。
Fallen leaves decay before returning to the soil.

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

die in obscurity; be forgotten

Figurative use: a person's talent or achievements fading away without recognition, or something being lost to time. Sense 3 often appears in negative expressions like 朽ちることなく.

彼かれの名めい作さくは時じ代だいとともに朽くちることなく読よみ継つがれている。
His masterpiece has been passed down through the ages without being forgotten.
才さい能のうがありながら、田舎いなかで朽くちてしまった画が家かがいた。
There was a painter who, despite having talent, died in obscurity in the countryside.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が朽くちるfor wood, a building, a ship, etc. to rot and decay
古ふるい木もく造ぞうの家いえがゆっくりと朽くちていった。
The old wooden house slowly rotted away.
〈事こと〉は朽くちることなく残のこるfor something (an achievement, name, etc.) to remain undimmed by time, without being forgotten
彼かれの功こう績せきは時じ代だいを超こえて朽くちることなく語かたり継つがれている。
His achievements are still spoken of today, undimmed by time.
〈場ば所しょ〉で朽くちるto fade away unnoticed and die in obscurity somewhere
才さい能のうを認みとめられず、彼かれは田舎いなかで朽くちてしまった。
Unrecognized for his talent, he faded away in obscurity in the countryside.

Expressions

蛇へびに噛かまれて朽くち縄なわに怖おじるonce bitten, twice shy

Kanji

朽decay, rot, remain in seclusion

Related words

腐くさるN4sense 1
腐る is the everyday word for food and organic matter going bad, often implying it becomes useless or disgusting, while 朽ちる describes the slow, long-term decay of wood or structures with a more literary tone.
廃すたれるN1sense 2
廃れる means to go out of fashion or become socially obsolete, while 朽ちる in its figurative sense means fading into obscurity or being forgotten despite one's true worth.
風ふう化か sense 1
風化する refers to physical weathering by wind, rain, and time (often of rock or ruins), whereas 朽ちる specifically evokes organic decay of wood or plant matter.

Word family

朽くち木き
decayed tree; rotten wood · obscure, meaningless life
朽くち果はてる
rot away; crumble to dust; decay completely; fall to ruins; rust away · die in obscurity; fade into oblivion
朽くち葉ば
decayed leaves; withered leaves · russet; tawny; yellow-brown

Written forms

朽くちるUsage98%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
くちるUsage2%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially for the figurative senses.

Etymology

The verb 朽ちる (kuchiru) is of native Japanese origin, related to the idea of crumbling or breaking down. The kanji 朽 is used for its meaning of decay or rot.