Translation and Meaning of: 縮める - chidimeru

Explanation and Etymology - (縮める) chidimeru

The Japanese word 「縮める」 (chidimeru) is a verb that means "to shorten," "to reduce," or "to diminish." The etymology of the term comes from the kanjis 「縮」 and 「める」. The first, 「縮」 (shuku or chiji), means "to contract" or "to shrink" and is composed of radicals that evoke the idea of shortening and diminishing. The second component, 「める」, acts as a verbalizing suffix that indicates the action of effecting the change described by the first kanji.

Historically, 「縮める」 reflects a universal concept of changing the size or extent of something to make it smaller. This Japanese verb is often used in contexts involving size adjustments, whether physically or metaphorically, such as shortening the duration of an event (time) or reducing the length of a thread or clothing (physical space).

In everyday life, 「縮める」 is widely applicable in various ways, from simple actions like shrinking clothes in the laundry to more abstract concepts like shortening distances in interpersonal relationships. Additionally, variations in the conjugation of this verb convey the idea of causation, for example, when something is shortened by someone's direct action.

In addition to the verb itself, there are derived and related forms, such as 「縮まる」 (chijimaru), which expresses the intransitive form, indicating that something shortens by itself, without external intervention. They are also used in specific contexts, expanding the range of application of the idea of reduction or contraction across various spheres of the Japanese language.

Verbal conjugation of 縮める

See below a small list of verb conjugations: 縮める (chidimeru)

• 縮め - Base form
• 縮めます - Polite form
• 縮められる - Passive form
• 縮めた - Passed form
• 縮めない - Negative form
• 縮めません - Polite negative form
• 縮めよう - Potential form
• 縮めている - Continuous form