傾く: a tilted floor and a declining family business
Compare 傾く for the slight tilt of an old floor and the gradual decline of a family business. Read the subject, degree, and progression to distinguish physical inclination from deteriorating conditions.
A floor that tilts slightly
傾く (かたむく) can describe a physical tilt. 「古い家の床が少し傾いている。」 means “The floor of the old house tilts slightly.” The floor is the subject, and 少し gives the degree.
傾いている presents a tilted state. The sentence supplies neither a measured angle nor a safety judgment. A slight tilt should not be expanded into the house having collapsed or its use being prohibited.
A family business gradually declines
「後継者を失って家業が次第に傾く。」 means “After losing its successor, the family business is gradually declining.” The subject is the business rather than a physical floor. Its conditions deteriorate after the loss of a successor.
次第に marks gradual progression. Decline is described, but completed closure or bankruptcy is not. With the business as its subject, 傾く is read in relation to the condition of that business.
Identify the subject and the progression
The floor sentence centers on physical inclination and the degree 少し. The business sentence centers on its condition and the progression 次第に. Identify what 傾く applies to, then read a slight existing tilt or a gradually worsening situation.
The floor's slight tilt and the business's gradual decline should not be collapsed into one completed breakdown. Read the verb with its subject, and check separately whether any measurement or closure result is actually stated.
What is tilting or declining in the floor and family-business examples of 傾く?
Show the answer and why
The first describes the floor's physical inclination. The second describes the business's condition gradually deteriorating. No exact angle or completed business closure is supplied.