四苦八苦

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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

Noun

四(し)苦(く)八(はっ)苦(く) • (shikuhakku) 

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

Verb

四(し)苦(く)八(はっ)苦(く)する • (shikuhakku suru) suru (stem 四(し)苦(く)八(はっ)苦(く)し (shikuhakku shi), past 四(し)苦(く)八(はっ)苦(く)した (shikuhakku shita))

  1. Same as above.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "四苦八苦する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective") 四苦八苦し しくはっくし shikuhakku shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative") 四苦八苦し しくはっくし shikuhakku shi
Shūshikei ("terminal") 四苦八苦する しくはっくする shikuhakku suru
Rentaikei ("attributive") 四苦八苦する しくはっくする shikuhakku suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical") 四苦八苦すれ しくはっくすれ shikuhakku sure
Meireikei ("imperative") 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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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