Japanese

をつく

いきをつく
Meaning: to take a breath; to catch one's breath; to sigh; to have a moment of relief
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

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Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 息をつく 息をつかない
Polite 息をつきます 息をつきません
Past 息をついた 息をつかなかった
Polite + Past 息をつきました 息をつきませんでした
Te-form 息をついて 息をつかなくて
Potential 息をつける 息をつけない
Passive 息をつかれる 息をつかれない
Causative 息をつかせる 息をつかせない
Causative + Passive 息をつかされる 息をつかされない
Imperative 息をつけ 息をつくな

Handwriting

息
を
つ
く

Example

I was so busy I didn't even have time to catch my breath.

Usage Notes

Used when someone finally takes a break or feels relieved after a period of intense activity or tension.

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