How to say "shrink" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 縮むちぢむgodan verb, intransitive verbFor the literal physical sense: something diminishes or contracts in size, like fabric shrinking in the wash. Intransitive, so it describes the shrinking itself rather than an act of making something smaller.
- 縮めるちぢめるichidan verb, transitive verbThe transitive counterpart of 縮む: to shorten, reduce, or condense something — a length, a distance, a stretch of time. Use it when 'shrink' takes an object, i.e. when someone shrinks something.
- 縮まるちぢまるgodan verb, intransitive verbIntransitive, like 縮む, but its distinctive senses are narrowing and closing: a distance, gap, or difference between two things shrinks. For something simply becoming smaller in size, 縮む is the natural choice.
- 屈するくっするsuru verb (irregular), intransitive verbNothing to do with physical size: this is the figurative 'shrink from' sense — to be daunted, flinch, or yield to pressure or hardship. For 'never shrink from a challenge', this is the word.
「縮む」 describes something becoming smaller in size; 「縮める」 is the transitive counterpart for making something shorter or smaller; 「縮まる」 covers a gap or distance narrowing or closing; 「屈する」 is only for the figurative 'shrink from' sense.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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