よどむ

よ

ど

む

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

よどむ · godan verb (-mu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	よどむ	よどまない
Polite	よどみます	よどみません
Past polite	よどみました	よどみませんでした
Past	よどんだ	よどまなかった
Te-form	よどんで	よどまないで
Desire	よどみたい	よどみたくない
Potential	よどめる	よどめない
Passive	よどまれる	よどまれない
Causative	よどませる	よどませない
Causative passive	よどませられるalso よどまされる	よどませられないalso よどまされない
Volitional	よどもう
Polite volitional	よどみましょう
Imperative	よどめ	よどむな
Conditional	よどめば	よどまなければ
Tara conditional	よどんだら	よどまなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

stagnate; become still; stop flowing

usually written using kana alone

Used of water, air, or another flow that stops moving and becomes stagnant or heavy.

この池いけの水みずは夏なつになるとよどむ。
The water in this pond stagnates in summer.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

settle at the bottom; be deposited; be sedimented

usually written using kana alone

Used when mud, dregs, powder, or other matter settles and remains at the bottom of a liquid; 澱む is a natural kanji choice for this nuance.

川かわ底ぞこに泥どろがよどんでいる。
Mud has settled on the riverbed.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

become dull; become sluggish; lose freshness

usually written using kana alone

Extended use for something that looks lifeless, clouded, stale, or lacking in energy, such as eyes, an atmosphere, or movement.

疲つかれで彼かれの目めはよどんでいた。
His eyes were dull with fatigue.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

falter; hesitate; stammer

usually written using kana alone

Often used with speech or movement when the smooth flow breaks down: words falter, a reply is delayed, or someone stumbles in delivery.

緊きん張ちょうして、彼かの女じょの言こと葉ばがよどんだ。
She got nervous, and her words faltered.

See all 17 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

水みずが淀よどむfor water to stagnate / stop flowing
この池いけは流ながれがなく、水みずがすっかり淀よどんでいる。
This pond has no current, and the water has become completely stagnant.
〈物もの〉が底そこに淀よどむfor sediment or dregs to settle at the bottom
コップの底そこに茶ちゃ葉ばが淀よどんでいた。
Tea leaves had settled at the bottom of the cup.
目めが淀よどむfor one's eyes to look dull or lifeless
疲つかれきった彼かれの目めは淀よどんでいた。
His exhausted eyes looked dull and lifeless.
言こと葉ばが淀よどむfor one's words to falter or catch
質しつ問もんされた瞬しゅん間かん、彼かの女じょの言こと葉ばが淀よどんだ。
The moment she was questioned, her words began to falter.
空くう気きが淀よどむfor the air to become stale or stagnant
換かん気きをしないと部屋へやの空くう気きが淀よどんでしまう。
If you don't ventilate the room, the air will become stale.
返へん事じが淀よどむfor a reply to falter or hesitate
彼かれの返へん事じが急きゅうに淀よどんだので、何なにか隠かくしていると感かんじた。
His reply suddenly faltered, and I felt he was hiding something.

Kanji

淀pool, eddy
澱sediment, grounds, dregs

Related words

滞とどこおるN1sense 1
滞る describes progress, traffic, or payments getting delayed or backed up, while 淀む is more image-based, describing stagnant water, air, eyes, or speech.
濁にごるN2sense 3
濁る focuses on becoming cloudy, muddy, or impure in appearance or sound, whereas 淀む emphasizes the stopping or dulling of flow or movement.
沈ちん殿でんN1sense 2
沈殿する is a technical term for substances precipitating as sediment, while 淀む is a broader, less scientific word for matter settling.
曇くもるN4sense 3
曇る describes eyes, glass, or skies becoming clouded or dim, while 淀む covers a wider range including stagnant flow, sediment, and faltering speech.

Opposites

流ながれるN4sense 1
流れる means to flow smoothly, the direct opposite of 淀む, which means to stagnate or stop moving.

Word family

淀よどみ
stagnation; sediment; backwater · faltering; hesitation; pause
よどみない
fluent; smooth; flowing
よどみなく
fluently; without hesitation; smoothly

Written forms

よどむUsage43%
All senses are usually written in kana; this is the safest everyday spelling.
淀よどむUsage30%
Kanji spelling associated especially with stagnant water or a flow that has stopped; attested, though the word is usually written in kana.
澱よどむUsage27%
Kanji spelling associated especially with murkiness, dregs, or sediment; attested and high-priority, but kana is still usually preferred.

Etymology

A native Japanese verb of uncertain historical derivation. The kanji spellings are conventional: 淀 suggests stagnant water, while 澱 suggests dregs or sediment.