Grammar Info
N3 Lesson 9: 13/22

込(こ)む ②
remain, to do thoroughly, deeply, intensely

Structure
Casual
Polite
Verb[ます+ 込む
Verb[ます+ 込みます
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
In Japanese, the う - Verb 込(こ)む ‘to jam into’ is frequently used as a 接尾語(せつびご) (suffix) to convey several different meanings. The primary meanings are as follows:
(A) 込(こ)む - To enter completely into doing (A), or the state of being in (A).
(A) 込(こ)む - To enter a state of doing (A) that will not be considered complete until ‘success’.
(A) 込(こ)む - To enter a state of doing (A) that cannot be escaped from.
In this lesson, we will exclusively focus on the second and third meanings, which are usually translated as ‘to remain in (A)’, ‘to thoroughly do (A)’, ‘to do (A) deeply’, or ‘to do (A) intensely’. This form will be attached to the 連用形(れんようけい) (conjunctive form) of other verbs.
  • 警察(けいさつ)道(みち)の真(ま)ん中(なか)座(すわ)り込(こ)んでいる人(ひと)話(はな)しかけた。
    The police went to talk to the person that remained seated in the middle of the road.
  • もうこんな時間(じかん)か、話(はな)し込(こ)んじゃった
    It’s already this time, we got lost in talking, didn't we?
  • そんなに考(かんが)え込(こ)まなくてもいいよ。
    You don't have to think so deeply about this.
  • 今(いま)は取(と)り込(こ)み中(ちゅう)ので手(て)空(あ)いたらかけなおします。
    I am held up working right now, so I will call you back once my hands are free.
Despite the multiple meanings, 込(こ)む can almost always be thought of as ‘jamming (B) into (A)’. This means that whatever the (A) action is, will be something that is not easily entered, but also not easily escaped from.
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みんないっせいに黙(だま)込(こ)んでいた
At once, everyone sunk into an intense silence and remained silent.
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疲(つか)れていたので、シャワーを浴(あ)びずに眠(ねむ)込(こ)んだ
I was tired, so I fell deeply asleep without taking a shower.
'Intensely. 'Thoroughly'.
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友達(ともだち)との話(はなし):「何(なに)を長々(ながなが)話(はな)込(こ)んでたの?」
Chat between friends: "What were you so intently talking about for so long?"
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