落ち込みます（おちこみます、ochikomimasu）
- to feel down

The Japanese verb 落ち込みます (おちこみます) primarily means "to feel down," "to be depressed," "to be in low spirits," or "to be discouraged." It describes a state of emotional distress, sadness, or a lack of enthusiasm. The feeling usually comes from something specific, but it's used when the feeling is quite profound. The feeling can relate to failure, sadness, disappointment, or any situation that leads to a negative emotional state. The feeling is quite often deep and lasting for some time. It is a common word used in everyday conversation to describe a state of emotional decline. When somebody is 落ち込んでいる, it often means that they are having trouble enjoying things and finding pleasure in life, or that they are being overly negative.

⚫︎試験に落ちて、落ち込みました。 Translation: I felt down because I failed the exam. ⚫︎彼は仕事が見つからなくて、とても落ち込んでいます。 Translation: He's very depressed because he can't find a job. ⚫︎彼女は彼の言葉に落ち込みました。 Translation: She was saddened by his words.

This word is used to describe your own feelings or the feelings of others. It can be used in both formal and informal situations, though the level of formality might change the polite form. When talking about someone else's emotions, it's polite to use the -teiru form (e.g., 落ち込んでいます). It's most often used in the present tense 落ち込みます or the present continuous tense, 落ち込んでいます (being depressed) but can also be conjugated to express past tense or other tenses/moods. ・You might use it to explain why you are not very enthusiastic about activities. ・You might use it to explain why you're quiet or withdrawing. ・You would use it to express that you are suffering in some way. ・You should use the polite version of this verb in most instances. ・It is an everyday word that can be used in all kinds of conversations.

落ち込みます is primarily written in hiragana. The kanji form 落（お）ち込（こ）みます is also possible, with 落（お）ちる (to fall) and 込（こ）む (to be crowded, to be stuffed into), but the hiragana version is more common for beginners. ・The okurigana (hiragana following the kanji) are usually 込（こ）みます. ・Conjugations include 落ち込む (dictionary form), 落ち込みます (polite present), 落ち込んだ (past). The most polite form would be 落ち込んでおります. ・落ち込む is the plain form.

⚫︎がっかりする (gakkari suru) - to be disappointed ⚫︎しょげる (shogeru) - to be dejected, to be dispirited ⚫︎ふさぎ込む (fusagikomu) - to be gloomy, to be depressed ⚫︎気が滅入る (ki ga meiru) - to feel depressed, to feel downhearted ⚫︎憂うつ (yuutsu) - melancholy, depression (noun)

⚫︎元気になる (genki ni naru) - to become energetic, to feel better ⚫︎喜ぶ (yorokobu) - to be pleased, to rejoice ⚫︎嬉（うれ）しい (ureshii) - happy, glad (adjective) ⚫︎ワクワクする (waku-waku suru) - to be excited

最近、仕事でミスをしてしまい、しばらく落ち込んでいました。 ・Translation: Recently, I made a mistake at work, and I was feeling down for a while. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the speaker's emotional state following a mistake at work. It uses the past continuous form 落ち込んでいました to show the duration of the feeling.

友達の助けで、落ち込みから立ち直ることができました。 ・Translation: With the help of my friend, I was able to recover from my depression. ・Explanation: This sentence shows how support from someone helps someone move past the feeling of 落ち込み.

The verb 落ち込みます is formed from the verb 落ちる (ochiru), meaning "to fall" or "to drop," combined with the verb 込みます (komimasu), which originally meant "to be crowded" or "to be mixed up in." Over time, the combined meaning evolved to express a state of being emotionally low, as if one's spirits or emotions have "fallen" and become entangled or trapped in a negative state. The combination expresses the idea of being drawn in or absorbed by a negative emotion.