尻尾を巻く

尻尾を巻く

Japanese

Kanji in this term
尻	尾	巻
しっぽ		ま Grade: 6
Grade: S	Grade: S
Irregular		kun’yomi

Etymology

From 尻尾 (“tail”) +‎ を (“direct object marker”) +‎ 巻く (“to tuck”)

Verb

尻尾(しっぽ)を巻(ま)く • (shippo o maku) godan (stem 尻尾(しっぽ)を巻(ま)き (shippo o maki), past 尻尾(しっぽ)を巻(ま)いた (shippo o maita))

1. (idiomatic) to tuck one's tail between one's legs; to admit defeat; to turn tail (and run)​

   尻尾(しっぽ)を巻(ま)いて逃(に)げ出(だ)す

   shippo o maite nigedasu

   to admit defeat and run away

Conjugation

Conjugation of "尻尾を巻く" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	尻尾を巻か	しっぽをまか	shippo o maka
Continuative (連用形)	尻尾を巻き	しっぽをまき	shippo o maki
Terminal (終止形)	尻尾を巻く	しっぽをまく	shippo o maku
Attributive (連体形)	尻尾を巻く	しっぽをまく	shippo o maku
Hypothetical (仮定形)	尻尾を巻け	しっぽをまけ	shippo o make
Imperative (命令形)	尻尾を巻け	しっぽをまけ	shippo o make
Key constructions
Passive	尻尾を巻かれる	しっぽをまかれる	shippo o makareru
Causative	尻尾を巻かせる 尻尾を巻かす	しっぽをまかせる しっぽをまかす	shippo o makaseru shippo o makasu
Potential	尻尾を巻ける	しっぽをまける	shippo o makeru
Volitional	尻尾を巻こう	しっぽをまこう	shippo o makō
Negative	尻尾を巻かない	しっぽをまかない	shippo o makanai
Negative continuative	尻尾を巻かず	しっぽをまかず	shippo o makazu
Formal	尻尾を巻きます	しっぽをまきます	shippo o makimasu
Perfective	尻尾を巻いた	しっぽをまいた	shippo o maita
Conjunctive	尻尾を巻いて	しっぽをまいて	shippo o maite
Hypothetical conditional	尻尾を巻けば	しっぽをまけば	shippo o makeba

See also

• 尻尾(しっぽ)を掴(つか)む (shippo o tsukamu)
• 尻尾(しっぽ)を出(だ)す (shippo o dasu)
• 尻尾(しっぽ)を振(ふ)る (shippo o furu)