塞ぐ

• Reading: ふさぐ
• Romaji: fusagu
• Kanji breakdown: 塞 (fusa/soku/sai) — to block, stop up, obstruct
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.sa.ɡɯ/

Meaning

To stop up; to close up; to block; to plug; to shut. Used for physically covering or obstructing openings such as ears, eyes, or gaps.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb. Versatile in usage: covers physical blocking (plugging a hole), covering body parts (ears, eyes, mouth), and figurative uses (blocking a path). Often paired with を for the thing being blocked.

Examples

1. 大きな声を聞きたくなくて、耳を塞いだ。 Not wanting to hear the loud noise, I covered my ears.
2. 工事で道路が塞がれて通れなかった。 The road was blocked off by construction and we couldn't pass through.
3. 穴をセメントで塞ぐ作業が始まった。 Work began to plug the hole with cement.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, construction, physical actions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 塞 carries the meaning of 'to block' or 'to obstruct,' used in both physical and metaphorical senses throughout the language's history.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal