身を尽くす

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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(み)を尽(つ)くす • (mi o tsukusu) 

  1. (figurative) to wear out with one's heart and soul
    • c. 951–953, Gosen Wakashū (book 13, poem 860; also Hyakunin Isshu, poem 20)
      わびぬれば今(いま)はたおなじ難(なに)波(は)なる身(み)をつくしても逢(あ)はむとぞ思(おも)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!

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

  1. ^ 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
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