What is the difference between "曇る", "病気になる", "空く", "げっそり", "かじかむ"?

"曇る" means "to become cloudy, to cloud over", "病気になる" means "to become sick; to get ill", "空く" means "to become empty, to become available, to be vacant (intransitive)", "げっそり" means "become thin, lose a lot of weight (from worry/illness); feel disappointed/discouraged", "かじかむ" means "to become numb with cold; to be benumbed with cold (e.g. hands)".

Quintuple VS

Synonym Boundary: "曇る", "病気になる", "空く", "げっそり", "かじかむ"

All represent the core concept "become", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

曇る

くもる (kumoru)

N5 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

病気になる

びょうきになる (byōki ni naru)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

空く

あく (aku)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

げっそり

げっそり (gessori)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option E

かじかむ

かじかむ (kajikamu)

N2 / CEFR

Quintuple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "become" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "曇る", "病気になる", "空く", "げっそり", "かじかむ" based on context.

曇る (くもる (kumoru) - Level: N5): Maps to "to become cloudy, to cloud over" and is used when Describes the sky becoming cloudy. Opposite of 晴れる.
病気になる (びょうきになる (byōki ni naru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to become sick; to get ill" and is used when 「病気」は名詞で、「〜になる」は状態の変化を表す動詞です。健康な状態から病気の状態へ変わることを指します。.
空く (あく (aku) - Level: N3): Maps to "to become empty, to become available, to be vacant (intransitive)" and is used when Intransitive verb. Used for spaces becoming empty.
げっそり (げっそり (gessori) - Level: N2): Maps to "become thin, lose a lot of weight (from worry/illness); feel disappointed/discouraged" and is used when Describes a sudden and significant loss of weight due to illness, worry, or shock, resulting in an emaciated appearance. Can also describe a feeling of deep disappointment..
かじかむ (かじかむ (kajikamu) - Level: N2): Maps to "to become numb with cold; to be benumbed with cold (e.g. hands)" and is used when Specifically describes the sensation of hands or fingers becoming stiff and difficult to move due to cold. It implies the cold has made them numb or clumsy..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!

Context for "曇る"

今日は朝から曇っています。

It has been cloudy since this morning.

Context for "病気になる"

熱があって、病気になりました。

I had a fever and became sick.

Context for "空く"

席が空いたら、座ってください。

Please sit down when a seat becomes available.

Context for "げっそり"

彼は病気でげっそり痩せてしまった。

He became terribly thin from illness.

Context for "かじかむ"

寒さで指がかじかんで、うまく字が書けない。

My fingers are numb with cold, so I can't write well.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "今日は朝から曇っています。" (Meaning: "It has been cloudy since this morning.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "曇る" is correct here because it represents "to become cloudy, to cloud over" in the context: "It has been cloudy since this morning.".