突(つ)き詰(つ)める

つきつめる
verb (ichidan)
to investigate thoroughly, to think through completely
他動詞 transitiveaction
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present突(つ)き詰(つ)める突(つ)き詰(つ)めない
Present polite突(つ)き詰(つ)めます突(つ)き詰(つ)めません
Past突(つ)き詰(つ)めた突(つ)き詰(つ)めなかった
Past polite突(つ)き詰(つ)めました突(つ)き詰(つ)めませんでした
て form突(つ)き詰(つ)めて突(つ)き詰(つ)めなくて
ている present突(つ)き詰(つ)めている突(つ)き詰(つ)めていない
ている polite突(つ)き詰(つ)めています突(つ)き詰(つ)めていません
ている past突(つ)き詰(つ)めていた突(つ)き詰(つ)めていなかった
ている past polite突(つ)き詰(つ)めていました突(つ)き詰(つ)めていませんでした
Conditional ば突(つ)き詰(つ)めれば突(つ)き詰(つ)めなければ
Conditional たら突(つ)き詰(つ)めたら突(つ)き詰(つ)めなかったら
Volitional突(つ)き詰(つ)めよう—
Volitional polite突(つ)き詰(つ)めましょう—
Potential突(つ)き詰(つ)められる突(つ)き詰(つ)められない
Passive突(つ)き詰(つ)められる突(つ)き詰(つ)められない
Causative突(つ)き詰(つ)めさせる突(つ)き詰(つ)めさせない
Imperative突(つ)き詰(つ)めろ突(つ)き詰(つ)めるな
1. to investigate thoroughly, to pursue to the end
To examine or investigate something exhaustively until reaching a conclusion.
I investigated the cause of the problem thoroughly.
I won't give up until I get to the bottom of the truth.
I pursued the culprit thoroughly and finally found the evidence.
2. to think through completely, to carry to its logical conclusion
To follow a line of reasoning to its ultimate conclusion.
When you think it through completely, there's only one answer.
As you pursue the theory to its end, contradictions become visible.
When you get right down to it, the problems all come down to one thing.

Transitivity: 他動詞(たどうし) (transitive). Compound verb: 突(つ)く + 詰(つ)める.

Pattern: Xを突(つ)き詰(つ)める (pursue/investigate X thoroughly)

Compound verb pattern: ~詰(つ)める compounds indicate doing something exhaustively or to completion:

Common expressions

  • 突(つ)き詰(つ)めて考(かんが)える (think through thoroughly)
  • 突(つ)き詰(つ)めれば (ultimately, when you get down to it)
  • 突(つ)き詰(つ)めると (in the final analysis)