果てる
はてる
verb-ichidan
to come to an end; to be exhausted; to perish
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 果てる | 果てない |
| Present polite | 果てます | 果てません |
| Past | 果てた | 果てなかった |
| Past polite | 果てました | 果てませんでした |
| て form | 果てて | 果てなくて |
| ている present | 果てている | 果てていない |
| ている polite | 果てています | 果てていません |
| ている past | 果てていた | 果てていなかった |
| ている past polite | 果てていました | 果てていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 果てれば | 果てなければ |
| Conditional たら | 果てたら | 果てなかったら |
| Volitional | 果てよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 果てましょう | — |
| Potential | 果てられる | 果てられない |
| Passive | 果てられる | 果てられない |
| Causative | 果てさせる | 果てさせない |
| Imperative | 果てろ | 果てるな |
1.
to come to an end; to finish; to be exhausted
For a long process, struggle, or one's energy to reach a complete end. Has a literary, definitive feel — stronger than 終わる.
長い戦いが果てた。
The long battle came to an end.
命が果てるまで彼を愛し続けた。
She kept loving him until her life came to an end.
議論は結局結論が出ないまま果ててしまった。
In the end, the discussion just petered out without reaching a conclusion.
2.
(as suffix) to do completely; to ~ utterly
Attached to the conjunctive form of another verb, indicates the action has been carried out to the point of exhaustion or complete depletion. Often written 〜はてる in kana.
彼は疲れはてて眠り込んだ。
He was utterly exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.
長年の介護で母は弱りはてていた。
After years of caregiving, my mother had become utterly weakened.
何度断っても勧誘の電話が来て、困りはててしまった。
No matter how often I refused, the sales calls kept coming, and I was at my wit's end.
Literary and somewhat dated in sense 1; the suffix use in sense 2 is far more common in everyday Japanese.
TRANSITIVITY:
Intransitive. There is a transitive counterpart 果たす (to accomplish, to fulfill — entirely different meaning despite the related kanji).
COMMON SUFFIX COMPOUNDS (sense 2):
- 疲れはてる: to be utterly exhausted
- 困りはてる: to be at one's wit's end
- 弱りはてる: to become utterly weakened
- 変わりはてる: to change beyond recognition
- あきれはてる: to be utterly dumbfounded
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 終わる: to end — neutral, everyday word
- 尽きる: to run out, to be used up — emphasizes depletion of a supply
- 亡くなる: to pass away — euphemism for death; 果てる can mean to die but feels literary