詰める

• Reading: つめる
• Romaji: tsumeru
• Kanji breakdown: 詰 (kitsu/tsu) — pack, stuff, cram, press closely
• Pronunciation: /tsɯ.me.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To pack; to stuff; to shorten; to work out details; to stand close.

A Group 2 (ichidan) transitive verb conjugated by dropping る (詰めない, 詰めます). Highly versatile: 荷物を詰める (pack luggage), 距離を詰める (close the gap), 詰めて座る (sit closer together), 話を詰める (work out the details). Also used in chess-like contexts: 詰み (checkmate). Appears in compounds like 缶詰 (canned goods) and 行き詰まる (to reach a deadlock).

Examples

1. スーツケースに荷物を詰めるのが大変だった。 It was tough packing my luggage into the suitcase.
2. もう少し詰めて座ってもらえますか。 Could you scoot over a bit and make some room?
3. 来週の会議までに計画を詰めておこう。 Let's finalize the plan before next week's meeting.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, business, daily life

Tone: practical

Origin & History

The kanji 詰 combines 言 (word/speech) and 吉 (good fortune), but the meaning evolved to 'to fill tightly' or 'to press closely.' Related to the idea of compressing or packing things into a confined space.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal