貢ぐ
みつぐ
verb (godan)
to support financially; to lavish money or gifts on someone
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 貢ぐ | 貢がない |
| Present polite | 貢ぎます | 貢ぎません |
| Past | 貢いだ | 貢がなかった |
| Past polite | 貢ぎました | 貢ぎませんでした |
| て form | 貢いで | 貢がなくて |
| ている present | 貢いでいる | 貢いでいない |
| ている polite | 貢いでいます | 貢いでいません |
| ている past | 貢いでいた | 貢いでいなかった |
| ている past polite | 貢いでいました | 貢いでいませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 貢げば | 貢がなければ |
| Conditional たら | 貢いだら | 貢がなかったら |
| Volitional | 貢ごう | — |
| Volitional polite | 貢ぎましょう | — |
| Potential | 貢げる | 貢げない |
| Passive | 貢がれる | 貢がれない |
| Causative | 貢がせる | 貢がせない |
| Imperative | 貢げ | 貢ぐな |
1.
to support financially; to lavish money or gifts on someone
to give money or expensive gifts to someone, often excessively or one-sidedly, typically motivated by romantic attachment
彼女に貢いでいる。
He's spending lavishly on his girlfriend.
ホストに貢ぐ女性もいる。
Some women lavish money on host club workers.
好きな人に貢ぎすぎて貯金がなくなった。
I spent so much on the person I liked that I ran out of savings.
友人は推しのアイドルに何百万も貢いでいる。
My friend has spent millions of yen on their favorite idol.
Originally meant to offer tribute or pay taxes to a lord. In modern Japanese, the meaning has shifted to describe lavishing money or gifts on someone, almost always in the context of a one-sided romantic or parasocial relationship.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 彼女に貢ぐ: to lavish gifts on one's girlfriend
- ホストに貢ぐ: to spend lavishly at a host club
- 推しに貢ぐ: to spend money supporting one's favorite celebrity
- 貢ぎすぎる: to overspend on someone
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
The word appears frequently in discussions about the "host/hostess club" industry and idol fan culture, where fans spend large sums to support their favorites. The derived noun 貢ぎ物 means tribute or a gift given to someone of higher status.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- おごる: to treat someone to a meal or drink; a normal social act without the negative connotation of 貢ぐ
- 養う: to support or provide for someone (e.g., a family); implies a legitimate responsibility