うずくまる

• Reading: うずくまる
• Romaji: uzukumaru
• Pronunciation: /ɯ.zɯ.kɯ.ma.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To crouch; to squat down; to cower. Describes a posture of curling up close to the ground.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb describing the action of crouching down or curling into a ball, often due to pain, cold, fear, or exhaustion. The kanji 蹲 exists but is rarely used; hiragana is standard. Evokes a vivid image of someone making themselves small, commonly seen in literature and descriptive writing.

Examples

1. 腹痛がひどくて道端にうずくまってしまった。 The stomach pain was so bad I crouched down on the side of the road.
2. 猫が暖かい場所を見つけてうずくまっている。 The cat found a warm spot and curled up.
3. 疲れ果てた選手がゴール後にうずくまった。 The exhausted athlete crouched down after crossing the finish line.

Usage Guide

Context: physical descriptions, literature, medical situations

Tone: descriptive

Origin & History

Derived from an older Japanese word meaning to sit low or huddle. The rarely used kanji 蹲 contains 足 (foot) and 尊 (revere), but the hiragana form is overwhelmingly preferred in modern writing.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal