込む

komu

JLPT N3 #55 of 182 in N3

Move inside; do a long time

込む attaches to a verb stem to indicate moving inward or doing something thoroughly for a long time.

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How to form it

Attach 込む to the ます-stem (the form used before ます) of a verb, e.g., 入れる→入れ込む, 話す→話し込む.

What it means

込む is a helper verb that follows another verb's ます-stem. It has two main uses: one is to show that something physically moves into a space, like 押し込む (push into) or 飛び込む (jump into). The other is to show that an action is done completely or goes on for a long time, like 話し込む (talk for a long time) or 考え込む (be deep in thought). The nuance is often that the action reaches a certain intensity or extent. This pattern is common in everyday conversation, but the resulting compound word is treated as a single verb, so you conjugate it normally (e.g., 話し込んだ, 話し込んで).

Example sentences

電車に飛び込んで、やっと間に合った。

Densha ni tobikonde, yatto ma ni atta.

I jumped into the train and just made it in time.

友達と遅くまで話し込んでいた。

Tomodachi to osoku made hanashikonde ita.

I was talking with my friend until late.

彼は難しい問題を考え込んでいた。

Kare wa muzukashii mondai o kangaekonde ita.

He was deep in thought about a difficult problem.

Don’t confuse it with

込む as a standalone verb meaning 'to be crowded'.

When 込む is used alone, it means crowded, as in 電車が込んでいる (the train is crowded). As a suffix, it doesn't have that meaning; it gives the nuance of 'into' or 'thoroughly'.

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話

When to use it

This pattern is used in both spoken and written Japanese, but the resulting verbs are everyday words; some combinations may sound more colloquial, so check the specific verb you form.

Next in the N3 path

なかなかquite~; pretty~; rather~; just not ~

ほど～ないis not as… as

たてjust done; freshly done; newly done

向きsuitable for~

See the whole Grammar Path →

Questions

What does 込む mean?

Move inside; do a long time. 込む attaches to a verb stem to indicate moving inward or doing something thoroughly for a long time.

How do you form 込む?

Attach 込む to the ます-stem (the form used before ます) of a verb, e.g., 入れる→入れ込む, 話す→話し込む.

Example of 込む in a sentence

電車に飛び込んで、やっと間に合った。 — I jumped into the train and just made it in time.

込む as a standalone verb meaning 'to be crowded'. — what is the difference?

When 込む is used alone, it means crowded, as in 電車が込んでいる (the train is crowded). As a suffix, it doesn't have that meaning; it gives the nuance of 'into' or 'thoroughly'.

What JLPT level is 込む?

JLPT N3 (intermediate), number 55 of 182 in Nihoner's learning order for N3.