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道Nihongo Path

沼

ぬま

marsh, swamp

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 沼に魚がいる。

    ぬまにさかながいる。

    There are fish in the marsh.

  2. この沼は浅いが、底は泥ばかりだ。

    このぬまはあさいが、そこはどろばかりだ。

    This marsh is shallow, but the bottom is nothing but mud.

  3. 村の外れに小さな沼があって、夏は虫が多い。

    むらのはずれにちいさなぬまがあって、なつはむしがおおい。

    There is a small swamp on the edge of the village, and in summer there are a lot of insects.

  4. 子どものころ、よく沼のまわりで遊びました。

    こどものころ、よくぬまのまわりであそびました。

    When I was a child I often played around the marsh.

Common patterns

沼にはまる
to get stuck in a marsh (also slang: to fall down a rabbit hole)
沼の水
marsh water
浅い沼
a shallow marsh

Memory tip

Size order: 沼 is smaller and muddier than a 湖 (lake) and shallower than a 池 (pond) that people dig. In modern slang 沼にはまる also means getting hopelessly absorbed in a hobby — once you step in, you cannot get out.

Kanji in this word

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What does 沼 mean?