Meaning

Primary

To Be Damp

Alternatives

To Be Moist, To Be Wet

Word Type

intransitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means damp so the verb vocab version is to be damp or to be moist. Ewww.

Reading

しめる
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

You know what's really damp and moist? Sheep men (しめ) are. They've been hanging out in a greenhouse and now their wool is all damp. They're going to need a towel to dry off.

Context

Context Sentences

昨日の夜、寝汗をたくさんかいちゃったから、ベッドが何だか湿ってるのよね。

I sweat a lot when I was sleeping last night and my bed is a little damp.

Kanji Composition