縮める · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 縮める | 縮めない |
| Polite | 縮めます | 縮めません |
| Past polite | 縮めました | 縮めませんでした |
| Past | 縮めた | 縮めなかった |
| Te-form | 縮めて | 縮めないで |
| Desire | 縮めたい | 縮めたくない |
| Potential | 縮められるalso 縮めれる | 縮められないalso 縮めれない |
| Passive | 縮められる | 縮められない |
| Causative | 縮めさせる | 縮めさせない |
| Causative passive | 縮めさせられる | 縮めさせられない |
| Volitional | 縮めよう | |
| Polite volitional | 縮めましょう | |
| Imperative | 縮めろ | 縮めるな |
| Conditional | 縮めれば | 縮めなければ |
| Tara conditional | 縮めたら | 縮めなかったら |
ichidan verb, transitive verb
shorten; reduce; condense; shrink
General transitive verb for making something physically or abstractly shorter, smaller, or more compact. Used with objects like length, distance, time, text, or volume.
I had the length of the skirt shortened by 5 centimeters.
I condensed the text to half its length and summarized it.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
Specifically used for fabric or similar materials, meaning to make it wrinkled or crumpled, often unintentionally or by crushing.
I stuffed the suit into the suitcase and wrinkled it.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
make oneself smaller; draw in; duck
Used for body parts or posture: pulling in one's legs, ducking one's head, or making one's body compact, often to avoid being noticed or to fit into a small space.
He was walking with his neck ducked because of the cold.
I made myself small to pass through the narrow passage.
I made an effort to close the distance between us.
He walked with his body hunched against the cold.
I washed it the wrong way and shrank the fabric.
The players narrowed the score gap in the second half.
The editor instructed that the article's text be condensed.
縮小する means to reduce something in scale or size (like a budget or image), while 縮める more often targets length, time, or distance specifically.
縮める focuses on shortening length or time, while 狭める specifically narrows width, scope, or a gap.
縮める means to shrink or narrow something, the opposite of 広げる's sense of spreading or widening it.