踏み込む

• Reading: ふみこむ
• Romaji: fumikomu
• Kanji breakdown: 踏 (fu) — step, tread; 込 (ko) — go deep into
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.mi.ko.mɯ/

Meaning

To step into; to break into; to delve deeply into a subject.

A Group 1 (godan) compound verb from 踏む + 込む. Three related senses: (1) physically stepping into a space (部屋に踏み込む, to step into a room or raid it); (2) a police raid or forceful entry; (3) delving deeply into a topic (核心に踏み込む, to get to the heart of the matter). The third, intellectual sense is most common at N1 level.

Examples

1. 刑事たちは令状を手に容疑者のアパートに踏み込んだ。 The detectives, warrants in hand, broke into the suspect's apartment.
2. 記者は首相の個人的な問題にまで踏み込んだ質問をした。 The journalist pressed the prime minister with questions that delved into personal matters.
3. 研究者たちはこの未解明の分野にさらに深く踏み込もうとしている。 Researchers are trying to probe even deeper into this unexplained field.

Usage Guide

Context: law enforcement, journalism, academia, investigation

Tone: assertive

Origin & History

Compound of 踏む (tread, step) + 込む (go deeply into). The literal sense of stepping firmly into a space carries connotations of intentionality and irreversibility—one does not casually 踏み込む, one does so with purpose.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated