沈(しず)む

沈(しず)む means to sink, go down, or feel depressed. Used for physical sinking and emotional states.

Transitivity

• 沈(しず)む (intransitive): to sink
• 沈(しず)める (transitive): to sink something

FORMS (godan む-verb):

• 沈(しず)まない (negative)
• 沈(しず)みます (polite)
• 沈(しず)んだ (past)
• 沈(しず)んで (te-form)

Common collocations

• 船(ふね)が沈(しず)む: the ship sinks
• 太陽(たいよう)が沈(しず)む: the sun sets
• 気持(きも)ちが沈(しず)む: to feel depressed
• 心(こころ)が沈(しず)む: to feel down, be dejected
• 沈(しず)んだ表情(ひょうじょう): a dejected expression

Compounds

• 沈没(ちんぼつ): sinking (of a ship)
• 沈黙(ちんもく): silence
• 沈殿(ちんでん): precipitation, sediment

Similar words

• 落(お)ち込(こ)む: to get depressed (more colloquial)
• 陥(おちい)る: to fall into (a state)

ASPECT (ている):

• 沈(しず)んでいる: is sunk / is feeling down (resultative state)
• Note: 沈(しず)む is a change-of-state verb. The ている form describes the resulting state — 船(ふね)が沈(しず)んでいる means "the ship is sunk" (on the ocean floor), not "the ship is sinking." Similarly, 気持(きも)ちが沈(しず)んでいる means "I feel down" (a current emotional state). For the ongoing process, use 沈(しず)みかけている ("is sinking").