縮ちぢまる

ち

ぢ

ま

る

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

縮まる · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	縮ちぢまる	縮ちぢまらない
Polite	縮ちぢまります	縮ちぢまりません
Past polite	縮ちぢまりました	縮ちぢまりませんでした
Past	縮ちぢまった	縮ちぢまらなかった
Te-form	縮ちぢまって	縮ちぢまらないで
Desire	縮ちぢまりたい	縮ちぢまりたくない
Potential	縮ちぢまれる	縮ちぢまれない
Passive	縮ちぢまられる	縮ちぢまられない
Causative	縮ちぢまらせる	縮ちぢまらせない
Causative passive	縮ちぢまらせられるalso 縮ちぢまらされる	縮ちぢまらせられないalso 縮ちぢまらされない
Volitional	縮ちぢまろう
Polite volitional	縮ちぢまりましょう
Imperative	縮ちぢまれ	縮ちぢまるな
Conditional	縮ちぢまれば	縮ちぢまらなければ
Tara conditional	縮ちぢまったら	縮ちぢまらなかったら

Pairs with縮める

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

shrink; become shorter; contract

Intransitive: the subject itself becomes smaller, shorter, or more contracted. Use 縮める for making something shorter or smaller deliberately.

セーターが洗せん濯たくで縮ちぢまった。
The sweater shrank in the wash.
寒さむさで体からだが縮ちぢまる。
My body curls up from the cold.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

narrow; close; be reduced

Used when a gap, difference, distance, or interval becomes smaller, such as a lead in a race or emotional distance between people.

トップとの差さが少すこし縮ちぢまった。
The gap with the leader narrowed a little.
旅りょ行こうの後あと、二人ふたりの距きょ離りが縮ちぢまった。
After the trip, the distance between the two of them grew smaller.

See all 21 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈数かず〉との差さが縮ちぢまるfor a gap/lead (in score, distance, etc.) to narrow
2位いとうとの差さがだいぶ縮ちぢまった。
The gap with second place has narrowed considerably.
〈人ひと〉との距きょ離りが縮ちぢまるfor the (emotional) distance with someone to close
一いっ緒しょに旅りょ行こうしてから彼かれとの距きょ離りが縮ちぢまった気きがする。
I feel like I've grown closer to him since we traveled together.
命いのちが縮ちぢまるto have one's life shortened (from fright, shock, etc.)
あの叫さけび声ごえで命いのちが縮ちぢまる思おもいをした。
That scream gave me the shock of my life.
〈数かず〉の記き録ろくの差さが縮ちぢまるfor a difference in times/records to shrink
世せ界かい記き録ろくとの差さがわずかに縮ちぢまった。
The gap to the world record narrowed slightly.

Kanji

縮shrink, contract, shrivel

Transitive / intransitive

縮ちぢめるN2
縮める is the transitive counterpart: 縮まる describes something becoming shorter or narrower by itself, while 縮める means someone shortens or narrows it deliberately.

Related words

縮ちぢむN3sense 1
縮まる and 縮む both describe something shrinking by itself, but 縮まる is especially common for gaps, distances, or differences narrowing, while 縮む is the more general word for physical shrinking such as clothes after washing.
狭せばまるN1
狭まる specifically describes a width, range, or choice narrowing, whereas 縮まる can refer to length, size, time, distance, or difference becoming smaller.
縮しゅく小しょうN2sense 1
縮小する is a more formal word often used for scale, budget, or size reduction, while 縮まる is the everyday intransitive verb for something shrinking or a gap narrowing on its own.

Opposites

広ひろがるN3
広がる means to widen or spread out, the opposite of 縮まる's sense of a gap or distance narrowing.
伸のびるN3sense 1
伸びる means to stretch, extend, or lengthen, the opposite of 縮まる's sense of something becoming shorter or smaller.

Written forms

縮ちぢまるUsage92%
Standard kanji spelling for the intransitive verb meaning that something becomes shorter, smaller, or closer.
ちぢまるUsage8%

Etymology

Native Japanese verb ちぢまる written with 縮, a kanji conventionally associated with shrinking or contracting. The exact historical derivation is not specified.