畳む

• Reading: たたむ
• Romaji: tatamu
• Kanji breakdown: 畳 (jou/tatami/tatamu) — fold, tatami mat, layer
• Pronunciation: /ta.ta.mɯ/

Meaning

To fold; to put away. Commonly used for folding clothes, closing umbrellas, or shutting down a business.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb. Most commonly used for folding clothes (服を畳む) and closing umbrellas (傘を畳む). Also used figuratively for closing a business (店を畳む). The kanji 畳 also reads たたみ and refers to tatami mats, connecting the concept of layering and folding.

Examples

1. 洗濯物を畳んでタンスにしまった。 I folded the laundry and put it away in the dresser.
2. 雨がやんだので傘を畳んだ。 The rain stopped, so I closed my umbrella.
3. 彼は長年続けた店を畳むことにした。 He decided to close the shop he had run for many years.

Usage Guide

Context: household, daily life, business

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 畳 depicts layers of rice paddies (田) stacked together. The original meaning was 'to layer/stack,' which evolved into 'to fold.' The connection to tatami mats comes from their layered construction.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal