くもる

Which of the 4 words can be used in all these brackets?

1. きょうは （ ）います。あめが ふりそうです。
2. バスの なかで めがねが （ ） こまりました。
3. 母の 目が なみだで （ ）いた。
4. かがみが よごれで （ ） いる。

a. くもって b. こまって c. ぬれて d. はれて

The answer is a. くもって.

くもる means “to become cloudy/overcast” and/or “to fog up.” So the translation of each option is:

1. It’s cloudy today. It seems it will rain.
2. I was embarrassed on the bus because my glasses got fogged up.
3. My mother’s eyes were blinded with tears. (= Tears blurred my mother’s vision.)
4. The mirror is tarnished with dirt.

As the verb くもる describes the change from being clear to not being clear, if you are going to describe the condition/state of being cloudy / fogged up, you need to say くもって いる/いた as in the examples.