飲み込む・呑み込む|のみこむnomikomu[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
飲み込む飲み込む is the most common and standard written form. Beginners should use it for both the literal and figurative senses.
呑み込む呑み込む is a less common variant of 飲み込む. Recognize it when reading, but beginners should normally write 飲み込む.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto swallow; to gulp down
- godan verb, transitive verbto understand; to grasp; to take in; to catch on; to learnこつが飲み込めましたか。↗Got the hang of it?
- godan verb, transitive verbto engulf; to swallow up
- godan verb, transitive verbto be filled with (people); to contain
- godan verb, transitive verbto swallow (one's words); to suppress (a yawn, tears, etc.); to stifle; to hold back
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 飲み込む（のみこむ） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 飲み込みます（のみこみます） |
| Negative (nai) | 飲み込まない（のみこまない） |
| polite (masen) | 飲み込みません（のみこみません） |
| classical zu / nu | 飲み込まず・飲み込まぬ（のみこまず・のみこまぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 飲み込んだ（のみこんだ） |
| polite (mashita) | 飲み込みました（のみこみました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 飲み込まなかった（のみこまなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 飲み込みませんでした（のみこみませんでした） |
| Te form | 飲み込んで（のみこんで） |
| Potential | 飲み込める（のみこめる） |
| Passive | 飲み込まれる（のみこまれる） |
| Causative | 飲み込ませる（のみこませる） |
| Causative passive | 飲み込ませられる・飲み込まされる（のみこませられる・のみこまされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 飲み込めば（のみこめば） |
| tara | 飲み込んだら（のみこんだら） |
| Volitional | 飲み込もう（のみこもう） |
| polite (mashou) | 飲み込みましょう（のみこみましょう） |
| Imperative | 飲み込め（のみこめ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym飲むのむNeutralThe most common everyday word for drinking or swallowing, centered on liquids; 「飲み込む」 stresses getting something down whole.
- Synonym嚥下えんげWrittenWritten/formal prose noun for the act of swallowing, a medical term as in 「嚥下障害」; 「飲み込む」 is the everyday word and also means to grasp the point of something.
- Related飲み下すのみくだすNeutralNeutral verb for swallowing down something taken into the mouth, as in 「薬を飲み下す」; less common than 「飲み込む」, which also means to grasp the point.
- Antonym吐き出すはきだすNeutralNeutral verb for spitting something out, or for pouring out one's feelings; the opposite of swallowing.
- Antonym排出するWrittenWritten/formal prose verb for discharging waste or exhaust gases, a technical term; the opposite of taking in.
Use 「飲み込む」 for swallowing something down whole or grasping the point, as in 「話を飲み込む」「コツを飲み込む」; use 「飲む」 for drinking, 「嚥下」 for medical swallowing, and 「吐き出す」 for spitting out.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
