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うずくまる Japanese meaning | Kotomora

うずくまる

also: つくばる

う

ず

く

ま

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

crouch; squat; cower

usually written using kana alone

Describes lowering the body close to the ground, often with knees bent. Can imply fear, hiding, or simply resting in a low posture. Cross-referenced with 蹲う (つくばう), a related archaic form.

See also: 蹲う (つくばう)

彼かれは怖こわくて隅すみにうずくまった。
He was so scared that he crouched in the corner.

子こどもが地じ面めんにうずくまって虫むしを見みている。

The child is squatting on the ground watching bugs.

Written forms

うずくまるUsage85%
Kana spelling is standard; usually written in kana.
蹲るUsage14%
- うずくまる
  Kanji form is recognized but less common in everyday writing.
- つくばる
  Alternate reading つくばる is rare and restricted to the 蹲る spelling.
踞うずくまるUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji variant; it is rarely used.
つくばる

Kanji

蹲crouch, squat, cower
踞crouch, cower

Similar words

しゃがむ
しゃがむ is a more common, everyday word for squatting down, without the nuance of fear or cowering that うずくまる can carry.
蹲つくばう
つくばう is an archaic or literary verb with a similar meaning; うずくまる is the modern standard form.

Etymology

The derivation is uncertain. The kanji 蹲 and 踞 both carry meanings related to crouching or sitting on one's heels, and are used here as conventional spellings for the native Japanese verb うずくまる.