cramped, narrow, contract, tight

About this kanji

The kanji 狭 (きょう, せま) means "narrow" or "cramped." It is often used as an adjective, such as in the word 狭い (せまい), which describes something that is tight or limited in space. You might also come across the verbs 狭まる (せばまる) meaning "to narrow" and 狭める (せばめる), which means "to make something narrow." Another interesting compound is 狭心症 (きょうしんしょう), which refers to angina pectoris, a heart condition related to narrow blood vessels. A usage note: while this kanji typically refers to physical spaces, it can also be used metaphorically to describe limited opportunities or feelings.

Example sentences

• この道は狭くて通りにくい。

  This road is narrow and hard to pass through.

Meanings across languages

English

cramped, narrow, contract, tight

Tiếng Việt

hẹp

日本語

狭い

한국어

좁은

中文

狭窄

id

sempit

th

แคบ

es

estrecho

fr

étroit

de

eng

pt

estreito

Common compounds

• 狭いせまいnarrow, confined, small
• 狭まるせばまるto narrow, to contract
• 狭めるせばめるto narrow, to reduce, to contract
• 狭心症きょうしんしょうangina pectoris
• 手狭てぜまnarrow, small, cramped
• 狭間はざまgap, narrow space between things, interstice
• 狭き門せまきもんthe strait gate (in the Bible), the narrow gate, high barrier (to enter a highly competitive school, company, etc.)
• 偏狭へんきょうnarrow-mindedness, intolerance, illiberality