Translation and Meaning of: 埋める - uzumeru

Have you ever found yourself wanting to say in Japanese that you buried your face in your hands out of embarrassment or completely covered something? The word 埋める (うずめる) is perfect for those moments, but it goes beyond the simple "to bury". In this article, you will discover the fascinating etymology behind this verb, how it is used in everyday Japanese, and even tips to memorize its kanji effortlessly. Here on Suki Nihongo, the largest online Japanese dictionary, you'll also get bonus ready-made sentences to study on Anki and truly master this term.

In addition to its literal meaning, 埋める carries interesting cultural nuances. For example, did you know that it appears in poetic expressions to describe feelings "buried" in the chest? Or that the pictogram of the kanji reveals a visual story about covering something? Let's unravel all of this, including common mistakes that even natives make when writing it. Get ready for an analysis that ranges from popular searches on Google to curiosities that are rarely mentioned in textbooks.

The Origin and Structure of Kanji 埋める

The kanji 埋 is an intelligent combination of two radicals: 土 (earth) and 里 (village). Together, they paint the image of "hiding something in the ground near where one lives" — almost like a treasure buried in the backyard. This visual logic helps to understand why the verb is not limited to funerals; it can describe anything from burying objects to "sinking" emotionally into something ("顔を手に埋める", burying one's face in their hands).

In the ancient language, the reading うずめる came from the term うずむ, which conveyed the idea of accumulating or heaping up. Over time, it took on the current meaning of completely concealing. A common trick is to confuse it with the similar 埋もれる (うもれる), but while this implies something already naturally buried (like a ruin), 埋める always involves intentional action. Do you see how one character can change the whole story?

Everyday Lies and Creative Expressions

In modern Japan, 埋める is versatile in unexpected situations. Young people use it to say they "sunk" into the sofa after a tiring day (ソファに体を埋めた), while companies talk about "filling positions" (ポストを埋める). It even appears in recipes: sweets "filled" with cream are クリームを埋めたケーキ. And what an irony — a frequent search on Google is precisely "埋める恋愛", as many use it metaphorically for relationships where they hide their feelings.

In pop culture, the verb gains drama. Mangas like "Attack on Titan" use 地中に埋める for suspenseful scenes, and songs by bands like ONE OK ROCK employ it in the sense of "filling emotional voids." A tip for your listening: in fast speech, the pronunciation sometimes becomes うめる (without the 'ず'), but both forms are correct. Want to practice? Try translating "I buried my past" — if you thought of 過去を埋めた, you hit the nail on the head!

Memorization and Common Mistakes

Here's a tip that saved my students: the kanji 埋 looks like a mini story. The radical 土 (earth) is the stage, and 里 (village) is the actor — imagine "village people" hiding a secret in the ground. To differentiate from the reading うめる (which also means "to fill"), remember that the 'ず' in うずめる gives the idea of depth (like the sound 'zun' sinking).

Be careful with writing traps! Many people reverse the strokes of the upper component or forget the small点 on the right in 里. Another common mistake is using the verb for temporary things — it implies permanence. For example: saying 雪に埋めた (buried in the snow) suggests that the object has disappeared from view, not just that it is covered by a brief snowfall. Mastering these details makes you sound more natural than many natives!