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Definition 2024


窄める

窄める

Japanese

Kanji in this term
すぼ
Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Pronunciation

Verb

窄める (transitive, ichidan conjugation, hiragana すぼめる, romaji subomeru)

  1. to make something become tapered, pulled together, scrunched up:
    1. to shut or fold (an umbrella)
    2. to shrug (one's shoulders)
    3. to pucker or purse (one's lips)
Usage notes

/subomeru/ and /tsubomeru/ are mostly identical, differing in connotation: /subomeru/ implies bringing together or scrunching up something that was broad and spreading, as in cloth or one's mouth; whereas /tsubomeru/ implies closing down or narrowing something that was open wide, as an umbrella. This distinction is minor, however.

Conjugation
See also

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
つぼ
Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

The transitive form of 窄む (tsubomu, to be narrowed, scrunched up), probably as a shift from /subomu/ influenced by 蕾む / 莟む (tsubomu, to form a bud), ultimately from root /t͡subo/ (a container, a vessel) + verb suffix (mu, to be like, to become like): see (tsubo, a vessel, a basin, a container).

Pronunciation

Verb

窄める (transitive, ichidan conjugation, hiragana つぼめる, romaji tsubomeru)

  1. to narrow something, to scrunch something up:
    1. to shut or fold (an umbrella)
    2. to shrug (one's shoulders)
    3. to pucker or purse (one's lips)
Usage notes

/subomeru/ and /tsubomeru/ are mostly identical, differing in connotation: /subomeru/ implies bringing together or scrunching up something that was broad and spreading, as in cloth or one's mouth; whereas /tsubomeru/ implies closing down or narrowing something that was open wide, as an umbrella. This distinction is minor, however.

Conjugation
See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9