The Meaning of atsumaru [集まる] In Japanese

集まる
あつまる
Romaji: atsumaru N5

What does 集まる mean?

Translation and Meaning

to gather, to assemble, to come together

Definition

集まる means to gather or come together, typically describing people or things moving toward a common point; it emphasizes converging as a group rather than dispersing.

Type

Verb (godan, u-verb) (動詞・五段動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • to come together, for people or objects to be located at a place
  • to form a crowd or gathering for a purpose or event
  • to converge or accumulate information, opinions, or resources around a topic
  • to assemble or converge metaphorically, such as ideas or attention gathering around something

Etymology

kanji 集; reading kunyomi atsumu + る; result atsumaru, forming the intransitive sense of to gather

Origin

Earliest usages appear in classical Japanese with the same kanji meaning to gather; Sino-Japanese readings were adopted, and the modern intransitive form became common across historical periods.

Composition

  • 集: to gather, accumulate
  • まる: verb suffix turning the stem into an intransitive verb

Usage

Used in casual and formal speech to describe people or items coming together. Typical patterns include with subject marked by が or は and location marked by に or へ, as in people or crowds gathering at a place; polite form is 集まります; common collocations include 人が集まる, 会場に集まる, 集まりを開く.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a magnet at a central point pulling individuals toward a single spot, reinforcing the sense of gathering reflected by 集 and the intransitive ending まる.

Variations

  • 集う (atsumau) – synonym, more literary
  • 集合する (shuugou suru) – to assemble, more formal
  • 集結する (shuuketsu suru) – to muster, converge
  • 解散する (kaisan suru) – to disperse, antonym

Example Phrases

  • イベントには 多様な 参加者 が 集まる。
    ibento ni wa tayou na sankasha ga atsumaru.
    Diverse participants gather at the event.
    Lista:
    • イベントには (ibento ni wa) – at the event
    • 多様な (tayou na) – diverse
    • 参加者 (sankasha) – participants
    • が (ga) – (subject marker)
    • 集まる (atsumaru) – gather
    Here, 「多様」 functions as a na-adjective; before a noun it becomes 「多様な」 to modify 「参加者」.
  • 今日は仕事終わりに、友達と近くの公園で集まる。
    Kyou wa shigoto owari ni, tomodachi to chikaku no kouen de atsumaru.
    Today after work, I meet my friends at a nearby park.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 仕事終わりに (shigoto owari ni) – after work
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – with friends
    • 近くの (chikaku no) – nearby
    • 公園で (kouen de) – at the park
    • 集まる (atsumaru) – to meet / gather
    The verb 「集まる」 is an intransitive verb meaning ‘to gather’; here it indicates people meeting at a place, with に marking the location.
集まる