Meaning & readings

exhaust, use up, run out of, deplete, befriend, serve

On’yomi ジン、サン
Kun’yomi つ.きる、つ.くす、つ.かす、-づ.く、-ず.く、ことごと.く

Origin

The character combines two parts to show the idea of running out or exhausting something. The top component represents a measuring ruler or standard length, suggesting a limit or boundary. The bottom component 冫 represents ice or something frozen and still, which conveys the sense of reaching an end point where nothing more can move or continue. Together, these parts create an image of reaching a limit and having nothing left to go further, which is why the character means to exhaust, use up, or completely finish something.

AI-generated (claude-haiku-4-5), not yet reviewed. Formation type (automated guess): Compound ideographic (combined meanings).

6 strokes

Components

  • meaning part top
  • meaning part bottom

Common words

  • 尽力 じんりょく efforts; exertion
  • 尽きる つきる to be used up; to be run out
  • 尽くす つくす to use up; to exhaust
  • 無尽蔵 むじんぞう inexhaustible supply
  • 理不尽 りふじん unreasonable; irrational
  • 論じ尽くす ろんじつくす to discuss fully; to discuss from every angle

Reference

Strokes
6
Kangxi radical
44
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
#1234 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+05C3D