Meaning and Usage
The verb 弱る (よわる) primarily means "to weaken" or "to become weak." It can refer to physical weakness, such as the body becoming frail with age or illness, as well as mental or emotional weakening, like feeling troubled or stressed.
Common Contexts
- Physical decline: Often used when talking about aging, illness, or exhaustion.
- Mental/emotional state: Used to describe someone feeling troubled, stressed, or overwhelmed.
Collocations and Patterns
- 体が弱る (からだがよわる): the body weakens
- 精神的に弱る (せいしんてきによわる): to be mentally weakened or troubled
- 疲れて弱る (つかれてよわる): to become weak from fatigue
Register and Nuance
弱る is a neutral verb used in both formal and informal contexts. It often conveys a natural or gradual decline rather than sudden failure. It can describe both physical and psychological states, so context is important to understand the intended meaning.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 弱る with 弱める (よわめる), which means "to weaken something" (transitive). 弱る is intransitive, describing the subject itself becoming weak or troubled. Remember 弱る is used when the subject experiences weakness, not when someone causes weakness.