Meaning

Primary

To Bury

Alternative

To Fill

Word Type

transitive verb, ichidan verb

Explanation

Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means bury so the verb vocab version is to bury as well.

埋める can also mean to fill, and can refer to filling a hole, vacancy, or gap. Note that this word can be used to refer to filling in figurative holes and gaps too, like a hole in one’s finances!

Reading

うめる
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)
うずめる
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

You learned this reading with the kanji, how nice for you!

However, you might notice that in addition to うめる, there's another reading too: うずめる. うめる is used for the act of burying something or filling in a hole, while うずめる is used when describing the covering or concealment of something, or when burying one's face in something (like a fluffy cat!)

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 顔を埋める

    to bury one’s face

    穴を埋める

    to fill in a hole

    空白を埋める

    to fill a blank

    死体を埋める

    to bury a dead body

    赤字を埋める

    to make up a deficit

    ジェネレーションギャップを埋める

    to bridge a generational gap

    不安感を埋める

    to assuage a feeling of anxiety

Context Sentences

記事の空白はイラストで埋める?それとも広告で?

Should we fill the blank space in the article with an illustration, or with an advertisement?

あの猫のモフモフに顔を埋めたい!

I want to bury my face in that cat's fluffy fur!

学生バイトがあけたシフトの穴を埋めるために、急に来てくれって言われたんです。

I was called in on short notice to fill a shift vacancy left by a part-time student worker.

きっとだれかがもう話をしてると思うんだけど、私達、あの肉屋をあんたの庭に埋めたのさ。良かったかな。

I’m sure someone’s already told you, but we buried the butcher in your yard. I hope you don’t mind.

Kanji Composition