かき消(き)える

かききえる
verb (ichidan)
to vanish completely; to disappear without a trace
自動詞 intransitiveformalchange
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Presentかき消(き)えるかき消(き)えない
Present politeかき消(き)えますかき消(き)えません
Pastかき消(き)えたかき消(き)えなかった
Past politeかき消(き)えましたかき消(き)えませんでした
て formかき消(き)えてかき消(き)えなくて
ている presentかき消(き)えているかき消(き)えていない
ている politeかき消(き)えていますかき消(き)えていません
ている pastかき消(き)えていたかき消(き)えていなかった
ている past politeかき消(き)えていましたかき消(き)えていませんでした
Conditional ばかき消(き)えればかき消(き)えなければ
Conditional たらかき消(き)えたらかき消(き)えなかったら
Volitionalかき消(き)えよう—
Volitional politeかき消(き)えましょう—
Potentialかき消(き)えられるかき消(き)えられない
Passiveかき消(き)えられるかき消(き)えられない
Causativeかき消(き)えさせるかき消(き)えさせない
Imperativeかき消(き)えろかき消(き)えるな
1. to vanish completely; to disappear without a trace
To disappear suddenly and completely, often used for sounds drowned out by noise or figures swallowed by darkness, with a vivid and dramatic nuance.
声(こえ)が風(かぜ)にかき消(き)えた。
The voice was drowned out by the wind.
His figure vanished into the darkness.
As if the light of hope had been snuffed out, she hung her head and fell silent.

A compound verb from かき (an intensifying prefix) + 消(き)える (to disappear). The かき prefix adds emphasis, indicating that something vanishes completely, suddenly, or is overwhelmed and obliterated.

Usage

  • Often used for sounds being drowned out by other sounds
  • Also used for people or things vanishing from sight
  • Literary and vivid; adds dramatic effect compared to plain 消(き)える
  • The transitive form かき消(け)す means "to drown out" or "to obliterate"

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 消(き)える: to disappear — neutral, without the dramatic emphasis
  • かき消(け)す: to drown out, obliterate — the transitive counterpart
  • 消(き)え失(う)せる: to vanish completely — similar emphasis, but rarer