朽ちる

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 朽ちる is read as くちる and is a verb meaning that wood or another material rots away, or that an institution or country declines from within.
• Basic usage: Use 木材が朽ちる for timber rotting and 王国が内側から朽ちる for a kingdom decaying internally.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Difference between 朽ちる and 腐る
  • The former suggests gradual decay or figurative decline over time, whereas the latter is common for food or organic matter spoiling and rotting.