When we talk about things weakening or getting feeble, in Japanese we use the verb 弱る (yowaru). This word is often used for a wide range of situations, from someone feeling under the weather to objects losing their strength over time.
For instance, if a person is unwell, you might hear someone say something like, 「病気で体が弱っている」 (Byōki de karada ga yowatte iru), meaning "My body is weakened from illness." It’s also common to use 弱る when discussing the deterioration of non-living things, such as an old building or a machine that isn't working as well as it used to. For example, 「古い機械が弱ってきた」 (Furui kikai ga yowatte kita) means "The old machine has weakened."
It’s a versatile verb, so remember that it can apply to both living beings and inanimate objects when they lose their strength or vitality.
Beispiele nach Niveau
病気で体が弱ってしまった。
Due to illness, my body has weakened.
彼は年を取って足腰が弱ってきた。
He's getting old, and his legs and lower back are weakening.
暑さで体力が弱る。
Physical strength weakens from the heat.
最近、食欲が弱ってきている。
Recently, my appetite has been weakening.
心配事で心が弱る。
My spirit weakens due to worries.
電池が弱って、動かなくなった。
The battery weakened, and it stopped working.
風で火の勢いが弱る。
The strength of the fire weakens due to the wind.
新しい薬で症状が弱まった。
The symptoms weakened with the new medicine.
病気で体が弱ってしまって、以前のように動けない。
Due to illness, my body has weakened and I can't move like before.
長年の無理がたたって、彼の記憶力が最近弱っている。
Years of overwork have taken their toll, and his memory has recently weakened.
経営が悪化し、会社の基盤が徐々に弱っていった。
As management worsened, the company's foundation gradually weakened.
連日の徹夜で、集中力が弱ってくるのを感じる。
After consecutive all-nighters, I feel my concentration weakening.
高齢になると、足腰が弱ってくるのは自然なことです。
As one gets older, it's natural for one's legs and lower back to weaken.
彼の決意は、困難な状況に直面しても決して弱らなかった。
His resolve never weakened, even when faced with difficult situations.
激しい運動の後は、免疫力が一時的に弱ることがあります。
After intense exercise, immune function can temporarily weaken.
古い建物は、地震で構造が弱っている可能性があるので注意が必要です。
Old buildings might have weakened structures due to earthquakes, so caution is needed.
Häufige Kollokationen
Häufige Phrasen
最近、少し体が弱ってきた。
Recently, my body has gotten a little weaker.
年を取ると足腰が弱る。
As you get older, your legs and lower back weaken.
気力が弱って何もできない。
My willpower is weak, and I can't do anything.
夏は食欲が弱りがちだ。
In summer, appetite tends to decrease.
飲みすぎで肝臓が弱ってきた。
My liver has weakened from drinking too much.
試験のプレッシャーで精神的に弱ってしまった。
I became mentally weak due to exam pressure.
祖母は年を取ってずいぶん弱った。
My grandmother has gotten much weaker with age.
長い病気で彼はかなり弱ってしまった。
He got quite weak from a long illness.
暑さで体が弱って、集中できない。
My body is weakened by the heat, and I can't concentrate.
ストレスが続くと免疫力が弱る。
If stress continues, the immune system weakens.
Wird oft verwechselt mit
Natural, gradual decline (e.g., aging, skills, power).
Something becoming weaker in intensity or state (e.g., a storm, pain).
General tiredness or fatigue.
Leicht verwechselbar
Both 弱る and 衰える mean 'to weaken.' However, 衰える often implies a more natural, gradual decline over time, like aging, or the fading of a skill or power. It's usually a longer-term process.
Use 衰える for a natural, gradual decline (e.g., health, power, ability over time).
年を取ると記憶力が衰える。 (As you get older, your memory declines.)
弱まる also means 'to weaken.' The key difference is that 弱まる is often used for things that *become* weaker, or for the intensity of something decreasing. It's often intransitive, describing a state of becoming weaker.
Use 弱まる for something becoming weaker in intensity or state (e.g., a storm, pain).
嵐の勢いが弱まった。 (The force of the storm weakened.)
This is the transitive form of making something weak. While 弱る is 'to become weak,' 弱くする is 'to *make* something weak.' It implies an agent causing the weakening.
Use 弱くする when someone or something *causes* something else to become weak.
彼はライバルを弱くした。 (He weakened his rival.)
参る has many meanings, including 'to be defeated' or 'to be overwhelmed/worn out.' In the sense of feeling physically or mentally drained, it can overlap with 弱る, but it carries a stronger nuance of being completely done in or defeated.
Use 参る when you're completely exhausted, defeated, or overwhelmed. It's more intense than just 'weakening.'
連日の残業で参ってしまった。 (I was completely worn out from working overtime every day.)
疲れる means 'to get tired' or 'to be fatigued.' While being tired can lead to feeling weak (弱る), 疲れる specifically refers to the state of tiredness, not necessarily the overall weakening of one's body or system.
Use 疲れる for general tiredness or fatigue. 弱る implies a more significant weakening.
今日は一日中歩いて疲れた。 (I walked all day today and I'm tired.)
Teste dich selbst 6 Fragen
This sentence means 'He became completely feeble due to illness.'
This sentence means 'As I've gotten older, I feel my physical strength weakening.'
This sentence means 'When emotional support weakens, people tend to lose hope.'
/ 6 correct
Perfect score!
Beispiel
高齢になると足腰が弱ってくる。
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異変がある
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