凹む

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
凹
くぼ Grade: S
kun’yomi

Verb derived from noun 凹 / 窪 (kubo, “an indentation, a depression”) + verbalizing suffix ぶ (bu, “becoming like [noun]”), with suffix ぶ (bu) mutating to む (mu) due to the preceding syllable ぼ (bo).

Alternative forms

• 窪む

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) くぼむ [kùbómú] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [kɯ̟ᵝbo̞mɯ̟ᵝ]

Verb

凹(くぼ)む • (kubomu) intransitive godan (stem 凹(くぼ)み (kubomi), past 凹(くぼ)んだ (kubonda))

1. to become hollow, cave in, sink in

Usage notes

The transitive form is 凹める / 窪める (kubomeru). Consequently, the potential form is the same as the passive form, くぼまれる (kubomareru), instead of くぼめる (kubomeru) as shown in the table above.

The spelling 窪む is used more often for くぼむ, because the alternative spelling 凹む can also be read as へこむ (see below).

Conjugation

Conjugation of "凹む" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	凹ま	くぼま	kuboma
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	凹み	くぼみ	kubomi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	凹む	くぼむ	kubomu
Rentaikei ("attributive")	凹む	くぼむ	kubomu
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	凹め	くぼめ	kubome
Meireikei ("imperative")	凹め	くぼめ	kubome
Key constructions
Passive	凹まれる	くぼまれる	kubomareru
Causative	凹ませる 凹ます	くぼませる くぼます	kubomaseru kubomasu
Potential	凹める	くぼめる	kubomeru
Volitional	凹もう	くぼもう	kubomō
Negative	凹まない	くぼまない	kubomanai
Negative continuative	凹まず	くぼまず	kubomazu
Formal	凹みます	くぼみます	kubomimasu
Perfective	凹んだ	くぼんだ	kubonda
Conjunctive	凹んで	くぼんで	kubonde
Hypothetical conditional	凹めば	くぼめば	kubomeba

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
凹
へこ Grade: S
kun’yomi

/herikomu/ → /hekomu/

Contraction of 減りこむ (herikomu), itself a compound of 減り (heri, “lessening, becoming less”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 減る heru, “to reduce, to become less”) +‎ 込む (komu, “to go inwardly”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) へこむ [hèkómú] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [he̞ko̞mɯ̟ᵝ]

• Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of "凹む"

Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形)	凹む	へこむ	[hèkómú]
Imperative (命令形)	凹め	へこめ	[hèkómé]
Key constructions
Passive	凹まれる	へこまれる	[hèkómárérú]
Causative	凹ませる	へこませる	[hèkómásérú]
Potential	-	-	-
Volitional	凹もう	へこも​ー	[hèkómóꜜò]
Negative	凹まない	へこまない	[hèkómánáí]
Negative perfective	凹まなかった	へこまな​かった	[hèkómánáꜜkàttà]
Formal	凹みます	へこみま​す	[hèkómímáꜜsù]
Perfective	凹んだ	へこんだ	[hèkóńdá]
Conjunctive	凹んで	へこんで	[hèkóńdé]
Hypothetical conditional	凹めば	へこめ​ば	[hèkóméꜜbà]

Verb

凹(へこ)む • (hekomu) intransitive godan (stem 凹(へこ)み (hekomi), past 凹(へこ)んだ (hekonda))

1. to become hollow, cave in, sink in: see the kubomu reading above
2. to decline below a certain point, to become less
3. to be stuck to be at a loss: see 困る (komaru).
4. to yield, to submit
5. (informal) to be bummed out

   うまくできなくて凹(へこ)む

   umaku dekinakute hekomu

   to fail to do it well and get bummed out

Conjugation

Conjugation of "凹む" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	凹ま	へこま	hekoma
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	凹み	へこみ	hekomi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	凹む	へこむ	hekomu
Rentaikei ("attributive")	凹む	へこむ	hekomu
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	凹め	へこめ	hekome
Meireikei ("imperative")	凹め	へこめ	hekome
Key constructions
Passive	凹まれる	へこまれる	hekomareru
Causative	凹ませる 凹ます	へこませる へこます	hekomaseru hekomasu
Potential	凹める	へこめる	hekomeru
Volitional	凹もう	へこもう	hekomō
Negative	凹まない	へこまない	hekomanai
Negative continuative	凹まず	へこまず	hekomazu
Formal	凹みます	へこみます	hekomimasu
Perfective	凹んだ	へこんだ	hekonda
Conjunctive	凹んで	へこんで	hekonde
Hypothetical conditional	凹めば	へこめば	hekomeba