Japanese edit

Kanji in this term
ふく
Grade: S
kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
脹らむ

Etymology edit

First cited to the mid-800s.[1]

From , (fukura, a bulge, a swelling) +‎ (-mu, suffix indicating “looks like, seems like”). The fukura portion is in turn from now-archaic verb 膨る, 脹る (fukuru, to swell, to bulge), superseded by modern 膨れる, 脹れる (fukureru) of the same meaning.

Pronunciation edit

  • Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of "膨らむ"
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Terminal (終止形)
Attributive (連体形)
膨らむ くらむ [fùkúrámú]
Imperative (命令形) 膨らめ くらめ [fùkúrámé]
Key constructions
Passive 膨らまれる くらまれる [fùkúrámárérú]
Causative 膨らませる くらませる [fùkúrámásérú]
Potential - - -
Volitional 膨らもう くらも [fùkúrámóꜜò]
Negative 膨らまない くらまない [fùkúrámánáí]
Negative perfective 膨らまなかった くらまなかった [fùkúrámánáꜜkàttà]
Formal 膨らみます くらみま [fùkúrámímáꜜsù]
Perfective 膨らんだ くらんだ [fùkúráńdá]
Conjunctive 膨らんで くらんで [fùkúráńdé]
Hypothetical conditional 膨らめば くらめ [fùkúráméꜜbà]

Verb edit

(ふく)らむ (fukuramuintransitive godan (stem (ふく)らみ (fukurami), past (ふく)らんだ (fukuranda))

  1. to swell, to expand, to get bigger

Usage notes edit

The intransitive verb 膨らむ (fukuramu) is used to describe something that happens naturally of its own accord, generally with a positive sense.

  • (つぼみ)(ふく)らむ(ゆめ)(ふく)らむ(むね)が〔(しあわ)せなどで〕(ふく)らむ
    tsubomi ga fukuramu, yume ga fukuramu, mune ga 〔shiawase nado de〕 fukuramu
    the buds swell, one's dreams grow bigger, one's chest swells [with joy, etc.]

The synonym 膨れる (fukureru) is used to describe something that happens due to an abnormality or external force, not necessarily with a positive sense.

  • パンが(ふく)れる(むくろ)(ふく)れる(ほお)(ふく)れる
    pan ga fukureru, mukuro ga fukureru, hō ga fukureru
    the bread rises, the corpse bloats, one's cheeks puff up (→ one pouts or sulks)

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit

References edit

  1. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ Hirayama, Teruo, editor (1960), 全国アクセント辞典 (Zenkoku Akusento Jiten, Nationwide Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Tōkyōdō, →ISBN