囲む

• Reading: かこむ
• Romaji: kakomu
• Kanji breakdown: 囲 (kako/i) — surround, enclose
• Pronunciation: /ka.ko.mɯ/

Meaning

To surround; to encircle. To form a ring or boundary around something.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb ending in む. Used for both physical surrounding (encircling a building) and figurative enclosure (gathering around a table). The expression 食卓を囲む (to gather around the dining table) is very common in daily Japanese. The passive 囲まれる (to be surrounded) is frequently used.

Examples

1. 家族みんなで食卓を囲んだ。 The whole family gathered around the dinner table.
2. 警察が建物を囲んでいる。 The police are surrounding the building.
3. 美しい山々に囲まれた町に住んでいる。 I live in a town surrounded by beautiful mountains.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, family, news

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the kanji 囲 (i/kako, to surround). The kanji shows a mouth radical 口 enclosing the character 井 (well), depicting the concept of enclosure.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal