What's the difference between 偏る and 傾く?


They can both translate as "to lean" but I think they're not interchangeable.
Or are they? Take this sentence for example:

> 地震で塀が傾いた。

Can I use 偏る in this sentence?




If you describe physical inclination with those two words, it's like this:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rWoEE.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rWoEE.png)

Though English "lean" covers both, 偏る tells that something becomes uneven as
if its center of gravity is drawing near to one side, while 傾く means that
something loses its uprightness in a way getting unstable.

> 船が傾いたので積んである石炭が偏った。  
>  The ship gave a lurch and the cargo of coal leaned to one side.

For your example:

> 地震で塀が傾いた。

it cannot be replaced with 偏る in the usual sense, unless, say, what you have
thought is wall is actually a sandbag-like structure and its packed content
flows to either side due to the earthquake.




If you describe physical inclination with those two words, it's like this:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rWoEE.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rWoEE.png)

Though English "lean" covers both, 偏る tells that something becomes uneven as
if its center of gravity is drawing near to one side, while 傾く means that
something loses its uprightness in a way getting unstable.

> 船が傾いたので積んである石炭が偏った。  
>  The ship gave a lurch and the cargo of coal leaned to one side.

For your example:

> 地震で塀が傾いた。

it cannot be replaced with 偏る in the usual sense, unless, say, what you have
thought is wall is actually a sandbag-like structure and its packed content
flows to either side due to the earthquake.

