傾く|かたむくkatamuku[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

JLPT N2approx.Common
かたぶくkatabuku[3]nakadaka (mid-high)ok
Definitions
  1. godan verb, intransitive verbto incline toward; to slant; to lurch; to heel over; to be disposed to; to trend toward; to be prone to
    そのポールは左ひだりに傾かたむいた。↗
    The pole inclined to the left.
  2. godan verb, intransitive verbto go down (sun, moon); to sink
    太陽たいようが西にしに傾かたむいた。↗
    The sun declined westward.
  3. godan verb, intransitive verbto decline; to wane; to ebb; to fall away
  4. godan verb, intransitive verbto tend (towards); to be inclined (to); to come around to (opinion, etc.)
Conjugation
Dictionary form傾く(かたむく)
Polite (masu)傾きます(かたむきます)
Negative (nai)傾かない(かたむかない)
polite (masen)傾きません(かたむきません)
classical zu / nu傾かず・傾かぬ(かたむかず・かたむかぬ)
Past (ta)傾いた(かたむいた)
polite (mashita)傾きました(かたむきました)
Past negative (nakatta)傾かなかった(かたむかなかった)
polite (masen deshita)傾きませんでした(かたむきませんでした)
Te form傾いて(かたむいて)
Potential傾ける(かたむける)
Passive傾かれる(かたむかれる)
Causative傾かせる(かたむかせる)
Causative passive傾かせられる・傾かされる(かたむかせられる・かたむかされる)
Conditional (ba)傾けば(かたむけば)
tara傾いたら(かたむいたら)
Volitional傾こう(かたむこう)
polite (mashou)傾きましょう(かたむきましょう)
Imperative傾け(かたむけ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Transitive / intransitive pair
intransitive傾くかたむく⇄transitive傾けるかたむける
船ふねが傾かたむく
船ふねを傾かたむける
The intransitive 傾く emphasizes the event or resulting state, as in 船が傾く; the transitive 傾ける foregrounds the agent acting on something, as in 船を傾ける.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym偏るかたよるNeutralLeans to one side or is unbalanced, often of biased content or opinions; 「傾く」 focuses on physical tilting or tending toward something.
  • Synonym片よるNeutralAn alternative spelling of 「偏る」, meaning to lean to one side; 「傾く」 is about tilting.
  • Related流れるながれるNeutralMeans to flow, and by extension to drift toward one side, as in 「楽な方に流れる」; 「傾く」 centers on tilting.
  • Related偏向へんこうWrittenA noun for bias or a one-sided tendency, in written/formal prose; 「傾く」 is a verb.
  • Related僻するへきするWrittenA rare written-form word for leaning to one side; 「偏る」 is the usual choice.
  • Antonym水平すいへいNeutralMeans horizontal or level, the opposite of 「傾く」 in its tilting sense.
  • AntonymまっすぐNeutralMeans straight, the opposite of 「傾く」 in its slanted or crooked sense.

Use 「傾く」 for things tilting, opinions tending, or a business declining, as in 「会社が傾く」. For one-sided imbalance or bias, say 「偏る」; as a noun, 「偏向」. 「水平」 is the opposite when something is level.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 水平すいへいまたは垂直すいちょくであったものが斜ななめになる。
  2. (太陽たいようや月つきが)高たかい位置いちから低ひくい位置いちになる。
  3. 関心かんしんや興味きょうみが徐々じょじょに向むく。
  4. 選択せんたくや判断はんだんの際さいに、そのような方向ほうこうに向むく。傾向けいこうを示しめす。
  5. 危あやうくなる。不安定ふあんていになる。
Kanji in this word

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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