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Japanese

める

きわめる
Meaning: to reach the extreme; to master; to go to the end of
Part of Speech: Verb

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Verb inflections

Verb inflections
Form Affirmative Negative
Present 極める 極めない
Polite 極めます 極めません
Past 極めた 極めなかった
Polite + Past 極めました 極めませんでした
Te-form 極めて 極めなくて
Potential 極められる 極められない
Passive 極められる 極められない
Causative 極めさせる 極めさせない
Imperative 極めろ 極めるな

Example sentences

その料理人は、和食の道を極めた。
That chef mastered the way of Japanese cuisine.
その武士は剣の奥義を極めて剣聖と呼ばれた。
That warrior mastered the deepest secrets of swordsmanship and was hailed as a sword saint.
決勝戦は最後まで熾烈を極めた。
The final match was fiercely contested to the very end.
その戦いは凄絶を極めた。
That battle was extremely fierce.
彼は若くして富と名声を手にし、栄華を極めた。
He attained wealth and fame at a young age and reached the peak of his glory.

Usage Notes

Used when someone reaches the pinnacle of a skill or experiences a state to the fullest extent.

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