縮 means “shrink, contract”

ちぢむ · chijimu

Also: shrivel, wrinkle

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ちぢむ, ちぢまる, ちぢめる, ちぢれる, ちぢらす

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シュク

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 6 · 17 strokes

The story

Thread (糸) beside 宿, an inn: picture a wool sweater shrinking after one hot wash at the inn. 縮む is to shrink, 縮小 is scaling down, and 恐縮です, shrinking in awe, is a polite way to say you feel obliged or sorry.

Used in 縮む (chijimu, to shrink), 縮小 (shukushou, reduction), and 恐縮 (kyoushuku, feeling obliged/sorry)

More from Grow & Wane

• 充 fill
• 隆 rise
• 茂 grow thick
• 繁 thriving
• 尽 run out
• 膨 swell
• 殖 multiply
• 騰 soar
• 衰 decline
• 累 accumulate
• 堆 pile
• 旺 flourishing

Learn 縮 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.