沈下

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 沈下 (ちんか) is a noun that also forms a する verb for subsidence or sinking below a previous level.
• Basic usage: It describes a risk of ground subsidence or part of a building sinking by a measured amount.
  • 工事の前に地盤沈下の危険を調べた。 — Before construction, we examined the risk of ground subsidence.
  • 古い建物の一部が数センチ沈下した。 — Part of the old building had sunk several centimeters.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Downward movement
  • 沈下 describes sinking below a reference level and contrasts with 隆起, in which land or a surface rises.