混ざる

• Reading: まざる
• Romaji: mazaru
• Kanji breakdown: 混 (kon/ma) — mix, mingle, muddle
• Pronunciation: /ma.za.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To be mixed; to blend together. Describes things becoming combined or mingled.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb. The transitive pair is 混ぜる (mazeru, to mix). Describes things naturally blending together: 色が混ざる (colours blend), 人が混ざる (people mingle). Very similar to 混じる (majiru), but 混ざる tends to emphasise the resulting mixed state, while 混じる can imply something foreign entering a group.

Examples

1. 絵の具の赤と青が混ざって紫になった。 The red and blue paint mixed together and turned purple.
2. いろいろな国の料理が混ざった文化が面白い。 The culture that blends cuisines from various countries is fascinating.
3. 砂糖が水にうまく混ざるようにかき混ぜた。 I stirred it so the sugar would mix well with the water.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, art, descriptions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 混 (kon, to mix/mingle). The native reading まざる has been used since classical Japanese for describing things naturally blending.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal