身を尽くす
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 身 | 尽 |
| み Grade: 3 | つ Grade: S |
| kun’yomi | |
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 身を盡くす (kyūjitai) |
Etymology
Literally "exhaust one's body".
Phrase
身を尽くす • (mi o tsukusu) (kyūjitai 身を盡くす)
- (figuratively) to wear out with one's heart and soul [since Heian period]
- c. 951–953, Gosen Wakashū (book 13, poem 860; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 20)
- わびぬれば今はたおなじ難波なる身をつくしても逢はむとぞ思ふ
- wabinureba ima hata onaji Naniwa naru mi o tsukushite mo awan to zo omou
- Such misery this; let my name grow again common as the channel stakes of Naniwa, I would cast this body away to gaze on you once again![1]
- わびぬれば今はたおなじ難波なる身をつくしても逢はむとぞ思ふ
- c. 951–953, Gosen Wakashū (book 13, poem 860; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 20)
Usage notes
Especially in its 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) mi o tsukushi, puns against 澪標 (miotsukushi, “dolphin, channel marker”).
Conjugation
Classical conjugation of "身を尽くす" (サ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
| Stem forms | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irrealis (未然形) | 身を尽くさ | みをつくさ | mi wo tukusa |
| Continuative (連用形) | 身を尽くし | みをつくし | mi wo tukusi |
| Terminal (終止形) | 身を尽くす | みをつくす | mi wo tukusu |
| Attributive (連体形) | 身を尽くす | みをつくす | mi wo tukusu |
| Realis (已然形) | 身を尽くせ | みをつくせ | mi wo tukuse |
| Imperative (命令形) | 身を尽くせ | みをつくせ | mi wo tukuse |
| Key constructions | |||
| Negative | 身を尽くさず | みをつくさず | mi wo tukusazu |
| Contrasting conjunction | 身を尽くせど | みをつくせど | mi wo tukusedo |
| Causal conjunction | 身を尽くせば | みをつくせば | mi wo tukuseba |
| Conditional conjunction | 身を尽くさば | みをつくさば | mi wo tukusaba |
| Past tense (firsthand knowledge) | 身を尽くしき | みをつくしき | mi wo tukusiki |
| Past tense (secondhand knowledge) | 身を尽くしけり | みをつくしけり | mi wo tukusikeri |
| Perfect tense (conscious action) | 身を尽くしつ | みをつくしつ | mi wo tukusitu |
| Perfect tense (natural event) | 身を尽くしぬ | みをつくしぬ | mi wo tukusinu |
| Perfect-continuative tense | 身を尽くせり 身を尽くしたり | みをつくせり みをつくしたり | mi wo tukuseri mi wo tukusitari |
| Volitional | 身を尽くさむ | みをつくさむ | mi wo tukusamu |
References
- Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen (2008) Murmured Conversations: A Treatise on Poetry and Buddhism by the Poet-Monk Shinkei, annotated edition, Stanford University Press, →ISBN, page 28