詰まる

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 詰まる (つまる) is an intransitive verb with okurigana まる, meaning to become clogged or tightly packed.
• Basic usage: It applies to a blocked drain and to sweets filling a box without gaps.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Blocked flow versus packed space
  • A passage subject suggests obstruction, while a container full of contents supports the tightly packed sense of 詰まる.