混こむ

こ

む

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

混む · godan verb (-mu)

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

Describes places or vehicles with many people; often used for trains, streets, shops, and events.

〈場ば所しょ〉が混こむfor a place to become crowded
休きゅう日じつはデパートがとても混こむ。
Department stores get very crowded on holidays.
〈場ば所しょ〉が混こんでいるfor a place to be (currently) crowded
このレストランはいつも混こんでいる。
This restaurant is always crowded.
〈時とき〉に混こむto get crowded at a certain time
朝あさの電でん車しゃは7時じごろ一いち番ばん混こむ。
The morning trains are most crowded around 7 o'clock.

混こん雑ざつN3
混む is the everyday, casual word for being crowded, while 混雑する is a more formal suru-verb often used in announcements or written reports.
詰つまるN2
混む means a place becomes crowded with people, while 詰まる stresses that no more room is left, whether from people, objects, or a schedule.
立たて込こむN1
混む is the everyday word for roads, trains, shops, and events being crowded, while 立て込む sounds a bit more formal and can also describe work or schedules piling up.

空すくN4
混む describes a place becoming crowded with people, while 空く describes it becoming empty or uncrowded.

込こむN4
混む specifically means 'to be crowded with people', while 込む is a broader verb (also read こむ) used for compounds like 飛び込む and can share the 'crowded' meaning, causing confusion over which kanji to use.

混こむUsage94%
Standard kanji spelling for 'to be crowded'.
こむUsage6%
込こむ
Alternate kanji spelling; also used for compound verbs. 混む is more specific to crowding.

The kanji 混 means 'mix' or 'mingle', suggesting a crowd of people. The reading こむ is native Japanese.