慎む vs. 謹む: They Sound Absolutely Same But..
What is the difference between “慎む and 謹む”? When you abstain from alcohol, which should you use: “慎む or 謹む”? After reading this, you would be answering this question. Let me introduce what their subtle differences are and how you correctly use them such as native speakers today!
慎む (tsutsushimu)
Abstain/Refrain / 慎重 / 삼가다 / ngừng
“慎む” means “Abstain” and which has been used as the meaning of “to not do something, especially something enjoyable that you think might be bad or to avoid doing or stop yourself from doing something:”. The basic way to use it is “___は/が___を慎む”. For instance, “私は食事を慎む(I abstain from eating meat.)”, “私はお酒を慎む(I abstain from eating meat.)”, “私はビデオ撮影を慎む(I Refrain from taking videos.)”. We use “Abstain and Refrain” as the same meaning. Furthermore, “慎む” is pretty formal, so native speakers prefer “控える”.




謹む (tsutsushimu)
Respectfully/Cordially, etc / 谨慎 / 자제하다 / Trân trọng
“謹む” means “Respectfully, So sorry, etc” and which has been used as the meaning of “the way that shows you want to be polite or honor someone”. The basic way to use it is “謹んで___”. For instance, “謹んで、お悔やみ申し上げます。(I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.)”, 謹んで、ご冥福をお祈り申し上げます。(We would like to offer our deepest sympathy.), etc. This is used as a formal meaning in business situations.


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