四苦八苦

四苦八苦

Japanese

Kanji in this term
四	苦	八	苦
し Grade: 1	く Grade: 3	はち > はっ Grade: 1	く Grade: 3
on’yomi

Etymology

Compound of 四苦 (shiku, “the four kinds of suffering”) +‎ 八苦 (hakku, “the eight kinds of suffering”). Specifically, in Buddhism, the four kinds of suffering refers to the suffering of birth, old age, disease and death. The eight kinds of suffering refers to the previous four and parting from loved ones, meeting disliked ones, not getting what one seeks and pains of the five skandha.[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しくは​っく [shìkúháꜜkkù] (Nakadaka – [3])[1]
• IPA^(key): [ɕikɯ̟ᵝha̠k̚kɯ̟ᵝ]

Noun

四苦八苦(しくはっく) • (shikuhakku) 

1. being in dire straits, being hard put to it
2. (Buddhism) the four and eight kinds of suffering

Verb

四苦八苦(しくはっく)する • (shikuhakku suru) suru (stem 四苦八苦(しくはっく)し (shikuhakku shi), past 四苦八苦(しくはっく)した (shikuhakku shita))

1. Same as above.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "四苦八苦する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	四苦八苦し	しくはっくし	shikuhakku shi
Continuative (連用形)	四苦八苦し	しくはっくし	shikuhakku shi
Terminal (終止形)	四苦八苦する	しくはっくする	shikuhakku suru
Attributive (連体形)	四苦八苦する	しくはっくする	shikuhakku suru
Hypothetical (仮定形)	四苦八苦すれ	しくはっくすれ	shikuhakku sure
Imperative (命令形)	四苦八苦せよ¹ 四苦八苦しろ²	しくはっくせよ¹ しくはっくしろ²	shikuhakku seyo¹ shikuhakku shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	四苦八苦される	しくはっくされる	shikuhakku sareru
Causative	四苦八苦させる 四苦八苦さす	しくはっくさせる しくはっくさす	shikuhakku saseru shikuhakku sasu
Potential	四苦八苦できる	しくはっくできる	shikuhakku dekiru
Volitional	四苦八苦しよう	しくはっくしよう	shikuhakku shiyō
Negative	四苦八苦しない	しくはっくしない	shikuhakku shinai
Negative continuative	四苦八苦せず	しくはっくせず	shikuhakku sezu
Formal	四苦八苦します	しくはっくします	shikuhakku shimasu
Perfective	四苦八苦した	しくはっくした	shikuhakku shita
Conjunctive	四苦八苦して	しくはっくして	shikuhakku shite
Hypothetical conditional	四苦八苦すれば	しくはっくすれば	shikuhakku sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

References

1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN