極める

極める

Japanese

Kanji in this term
極
きわ Grade: 4
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
窮める

Etymology 1

From classical verb 極む (kiwamu), itself from 際 (kiwa, “edge, brink”) + verb-forming suffix む (mu, “seems like, having that quality”, see also related classical suffix ぶ (bu) and modern derivative びる (biru)).

Development

Natural progression from Old and Classical Japanese 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, “lower bigrade conjugation”) verbs ending in -u to modern Japanese 下一段活用 (shimo ichidan katsuyō, “lower monograde conjugation”) verbs ending in -eru.

Verb

極(きわ)める • (kiwameru) ^{←きはめる (kifameru)?} transitive ichidan (stem 極(きわ)め (kiwame), past 極(きわ)めた (kiwameta))

Japanese verb pair
active	極める
mediopassive	極まる

1. to carry to extremes, carry to the end

Conjugation

Conjugation of "極める" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	極め	きわめ	kiwame
Continuative (連用形)	極め	きわめ	kiwame
Terminal (終止形)	極める	きわめる	kiwameru
Attributive (連体形)	極める	きわめる	kiwameru
Hypothetical (仮定形)	極めれ	きわめれ	kiwamere
Imperative (命令形)	極めよ¹ 極めろ²	きわめよ¹ きわめろ²	kiwameyo¹ kiwamero²
Key constructions
Passive	極められる	きわめられる	kiwamerareru
Causative	極めさせる 極めさす	きわめさせる きわめさす	kiwamesaseru kiwamesasu
Potential	極められる 極めれる³	きわめられる きわめれる³	kiwamerareru kiwamereru³
Volitional	極めよう	きわめよう	kiwameyō
Negative	極めない 極めぬ 極めん	きわめない きわめぬ きわめん	kiwamenai kiwamenu kiwamen
Negative continuative	極めず	きわめず	kiwamezu
Formal	極めます	きわめます	kiwamemasu
Perfective	極めた	きわめた	kiwameta
Conjunctive	極めて	きわめて	kiwamete
Hypothetical conditional	極めれば	きわめれば	kiwamereba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative ³ Colloquial potential

Derived terms

• 極(きわ)めて (kiwamete)
• 極(きわ)め付(つ)き (kiwametsuki)
• 極(きわ)め札(ふだ) (kiwamefuda)
• 一(いち)極(きわ)め (ichikiwame)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
極
き Grade: 4
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 極める – see the following entry.

【決きめる】 [verb] to make a choice between multiple alternatives, to decide [verb] to decide to do something: to do something on purpose [verb] to perform a maneuver, to carry out a tactical action [verb] to decide on an opinion: to believe in an opinion firmly [verb] to decide on a common course of action: to be accustomed to do, to do habitually [verb] to make an impressive or attractive physical appearance, usually by grooming oneself or making some unusual gestures Alternative spellings 極める, キメる

(This term, 極める, is an alternative (less common) spelling of the above term.)