縮む|ちぢむchijimu[0]heiban (flat)
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- godan verb, intransitive verbto shrink; to contract; to diminish (in size)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 縮む(ちぢむ) |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 縮みます(ちぢみます) |
| Negative (nai) | 縮まない(ちぢまない) |
| polite (masen) | 縮みません(ちぢみません) |
| classical zu / nu | 縮まず・縮まぬ(ちぢまず・ちぢまぬ) |
| Past (ta) | 縮んだ(ちぢんだ) |
| polite (mashita) | 縮みました(ちぢみました) |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 縮まなかった(ちぢまなかった) |
| polite (masen deshita) | 縮みませんでした(ちぢみませんでした) |
| Te form | 縮んで(ちぢんで) |
| Potential | 縮める(ちぢめる) |
| Passive | 縮まれる(ちぢまれる) |
| Causative | 縮ませる(ちぢませる) |
| Causative passive | 縮ませられる・縮まされる(ちぢませられる・ちぢまされる) |
| Conditional (ba) | 縮めば(ちぢめば) |
| tara | 縮んだら(ちぢんだら) |
| Volitional | 縮もう(ちぢもう) |
| polite (mashou) | 縮みましょう(ちぢみましょう) |
| Imperative | 縮め(ちぢめ) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
- Synonym縮小しゅくしょうWrittenNoun for reducing scale or scope, as in 「事業縮小」; leans formal. 「縮む」 is about physical shrinking of things like fabric.
- Synonym収縮しゅうしゅくWrittenWritten/formal noun for contraction of muscles, blood vessels and the like; leans medical or scientific in flavor.
- Synonym縮まるちぢまるNeutralCovers size, time, distance or gaps getting shorter, as in 「差が縮まる」「寿命が縮まる」. Largely interchangeable with 「縮む」, which is the usual word for fabric shrinking.
- SynonymすぼむNeutralFor openings narrowing or closing up — pockets, flowers and the like; the focus is on an aperture drawing shut, not overall shrinking.
- Related減るへるNeutralFor quantities decreasing, as in 「体重が減る」; it is about amount or number going down, not size shrinking.
- Related減少げんしょうWrittenFormal noun for a decrease in numbers, as in 「人口減少」; leans formal.
- Related漸減ぜんげんWrittenWritten/formal noun for a gradual, bit-by-bit decrease; 「縮む」 instead centers on size contracting.
- Related先細りさきぼそりNeutralNoun for tapering ever thinner or steadily dwindling away, as in 「先細りの業界」.
- Antonym伸びるのびるNeutralAntonym: to stretch, lengthen or extend — the opposite of 「縮む」 contracting.
- Antonym膨らむふくらむNeutralAntonym: to swell or inflate, as in 「風船が膨らむ」 — the opposite of shrinking.
Use 「縮む」 for things shrinking — fabric, the body, etc., as in 「セーターが縮む」. 「縮まる」 also covers sizes and gaps shortening; 「縮小」 is for scaling down; 「減る」 for numbers dropping; 「伸びる」 for stretching.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
- 短くなる。


