かじりつく
かじりつく
verb (godan)
to bite into; to cling to tenaciously
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | かじりつく | かじりつかない |
| Present polite | かじりつきます | かじりつきません |
| Past | かじりついた | かじりつかなかった |
| Past polite | かじりつきました | かじりつきませんでした |
| て form | かじりついて | かじりつかなくて |
| ている present | かじりついている | かじりついていない |
| ている polite | かじりついています | かじりついていません |
| ている past | かじりついていた | かじりついていなかった |
| ている past polite | かじりついていました | かじりついていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | かじりつけば | かじりつかなければ |
| Conditional たら | かじりついたら | かじりつかなかったら |
| Volitional | かじりつこう | — |
| Volitional polite | かじりつきましょう | — |
| Potential | かじりつける | かじりつけない |
| Passive | かじりつかれる | かじりつかれない |
| Causative | かじりつかせる | かじりつかせない |
| Imperative | かじりつけ | かじりつくな |
1.
to bite into; to sink one's teeth into
To bite down hard on something, gripping it with the teeth. Used for physically biting into food or objects.
りんごにかじりつく。
To bite into an apple.
子どもが大きなパンにかじりついた。
The child bit into a large piece of bread.
犬が骨にかじりついて離さなかった。
The dog bit into the bone and wouldn't let go.
2.
to cling to; to stick with tenaciously
To hold on to something with determination and refuse to let go. Used figuratively for clinging stubbornly to a task, goal, or opportunity.
仕事にかじりつく。
To cling tenaciously to one's work.
最後まであきらめずにかじりついた。
I clung on without giving up until the very end.
彼はどんなに難しくても目標にかじりつくタイプだ。
He's the type who clings tenaciously to his goals no matter how difficult things get.
A compound verb formed from かじる (to bite, to gnaw) and つく (to attach, to stick). The つく element adds the nuance of clinging or holding fast.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- りんごにかじりつく: to bite into an apple
- 骨にかじりつく: to gnaw on a bone
- 仕事にかじりつく: to throw oneself into work
- 最後までかじりつく: to hang on until the end
SIMILAR WORDS:
- かじる: to bite; to gnaw — the base verb, without the sense of clinging
- しがみつく: to cling to; to hold on desperately — emphasizes desperation more than tenacity
- 食らいつく: to bite at; to attack fiercely — more aggressive, often used in competition
USAGE:
Sense 2 is often used to describe someone who perseveres through difficulty. It carries a positive nuance of determination rather than stubbornness.