縮む

• Reading: ちぢむ
• Romaji: chidimu
• Kanji breakdown: 縮 (shuku/chidi) — shrink, contract, reduce
• Pronunciation: /tɕi.dʑi.mɯ/

Meaning

To shrink; to contract; to diminish in size. Describes something becoming physically smaller.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb meaning to physically shrink or contract. While similar to 縮まる, 縮む focuses more on the physical contraction of objects or materials rather than abstract distances. Common for describing fabric shrinking in the wash, muscles contracting, or people hunching up from cold. Also used figuratively for cowering in fear.

Examples

1. この生地は洗うと縮むので注意してください。 Please be careful, as this fabric shrinks when washed.
2. 寒さで体が縮む思いだった。 The cold made me feel like my whole body was shrinking.
3. ゴムが古くなって縮んでしまった。 The rubber got old and shrank.

Usage Guide

Context: laundry, materials, physical sensations

Tone: practical

Origin & History

From the same kanji 縮 (shrink, contract) as 縮まる. The む ending gives a more basic, physical sense of contraction, while まる emphasises the process of becoming shorter or narrower.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal