1.
to sink, to go down
To go below the surface.
船が沈んだ。
The ship sank.
太陽が沈む。
The sun sets.
石が水の底に沈んだ。
The stone sank to the bottom of the water.
2.
to feel depressed, to be downcast
To feel low or sad.
気持ちが沈む。
To feel depressed.
心が沈んでいる。
I feel down.
悪い知らせを聞いて気持ちが沈んだ。
My mood sank after hearing the bad news.
沈む means to sink, go down, or feel depressed. Used for physical sinking and emotional states.
TRANSITIVITY:
- 沈む (intransitive): to sink
- 沈める (transitive): to sink something
CONJUGATION (godan む-verb):
- 沈まない (negative)
- 沈みます (polite)
- 沈んだ (past)
- 沈んで (te-form)
COMMON USES:
- 船が沈む: the ship sinks
- 太陽が沈む: the sun sets
- 気持ちが沈む: to feel depressed
- 心が沈む: to feel down, be dejected
- 沈んだ表情: a dejected expression
RELATED COMPOUNDS:
- 沈没: sinking (of a ship)
- 沈黙: silence
- 沈殿: precipitation, sediment
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 落ち込む: to get depressed (more colloquial)
- 陥る: to fall into (a state)