にじむ

に

じ

む

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

にじむ · godan verb (-mu)

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

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

run; spread; bleed; blot

usually written using kana alone

Describes liquid spreading through a material, such as ink bleeding on paper, dye running, or a stain spreading.

この紙かみはインクがにじみやすい。
Ink tends to bleed on this paper.
涙なみだで手て紙がみの文も字じがにじんでしまった。
The letters on the letter blurred because of tears.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

blur; become blurred

usually written using kana alone

Used when outlines, images, or boundaries become unclear, often due to moisture, tears, or poor focus.

雨あめで窓まどの外そとの景色けしきがにじんで見みえる。
The view outside the window looks blurred because of the rain.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

ooze; well up

usually written using kana alone

Typically used for tears, sweat, or other bodily fluids slowly emerging; also for emotions welling up visibly.

彼かの女じょの目めに涙なみだがにじんだ。
Tears welled up in her eyes.

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

show through; reveal itself

usually written using kana alone

Used when feelings, personality, or atmosphere become subtly apparent in someone's expression, voice, or behavior.

彼かれの声こえには不ふ安あんがにじんでいた。
Anxiety showed through in his voice.

See all 58 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が滲にじむfor ink, dye, or moisture to bleed/spread into a surface
雨あめで手て紙がみの文も字じが滲にじんでしまった。
The letters on the letter blurred from the rain.
〈人ひと〉の目めが滲にじむfor someone's eyes to blur with tears
感かん動どうして彼かの女じょの目めが涙なみだで滲にじんだ。
Her eyes blurred with tears from the emotion.
〈場ば所しょ〉に汗あせが滲にじむfor sweat to bead/ooze on a part of the body
額ひたいに汗あせが滲にじんでいる。
Sweat is beading on his forehead.
〈物もの〉に〈事こと〉が滲にじむfor an emotion or state to show through subtly in one's voice, face, etc.
彼かれの声こえに疲つかれが滲にじんでいた。
Fatigue was showing through in his voice.
笑え顔がおに〈事こと〉が滲にじむfor a feeling like warmth or kindness to be visible in someone's smile
彼かの女じょの笑え顔がおに優やさしさが滲にじんでいた。
Kindness showed through in her smile.

Kanji

滲imbued with

Related words

しみるN2sense 1
しみる means a liquid soaks in and stays (like a stain or lingering cold), while 滲む describes it spreading outward or blurring, as ink on paper.
ぼやけるN1sense 2
ぼやける is used for something becoming out of focus for optical or perceptual reasons, whereas 滲む specifically implies blurring caused by moisture or spreading.
霞かすむN1sense 2
霞む describes vision or scenery becoming hazy, often from mist or distance, while 滲む is used more for tears or ink causing blur.
ぼかすN1
にじむ is intransitive and describes ink or color bleeding or spreading unintentionally, whereas ぼかす is a controlled, deliberate action.

Word family

にじみ
blur; bleeding; running
滲にじみ出だす
ooze out; seep out · show through; reveal itself
にじみやすい
easily smudged; prone to bleeding; easy to spread

Written forms

にじむUsage60%
Usually written in kana; the kanji 滲む is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
滲にじむUsage40%
Kanji form is uncommon; mainly encountered in literary or older texts.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it may be related to the mimetic root にじ (suggesting stickiness or oozing). The kanji 滲 is a phono-semantic compound with 水 (water) and 參 (to seep), reinforcing the meaning of liquid spreading.