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JAPANESE VERB

ひざまずく

跪く

to kneel

  • Godan verb (u-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI kneel
NegativeI don’t kneel

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI knelt
NegativeI didn’t kneel

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formkneeling, and…
Doing now (て います)I am kneeling
Please (て ください)please kneel

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can kneel
NegativeI can’t kneel

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to kneel
NegativeI don’t want to kneel

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s kneel

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I kneel
  2. If, when (たら) if I kneel

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) kneel (do it)
  2. Plain command kneel!
  3. Please don’t please don’t kneel

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am knelt
CausativeI make someone kneel

How to use ひざまずく

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    プロポーズ で は、 ひざまずきます か?

    Do you kneel for a proposal?

  2. Past

    かれ は、 みんな の まえ で ひざまずいた。

    He knelt in front of everyone.

  3. Te-form

    はな の まえ で ひざまずいて、 ゆびわ を さしだした。

    I knelt in front of Hana and held out the ring.

  4. Potential

    ひざ が いたくて、 きょう は ひざまずけません。

    My knee hurts, so I can't kneel today.

  5. Want to

    かっこよく ひざまずきたい から、 れんしゅう して いる。

    I want to kneel in style, so I'm practising.

  6. Volitional

    おてら で は、 しずか に ひざまずこう。

    At the temple, let's kneel quietly.

  7. Conditional

    ここ で ひざまずけば、 みんな に みられる。

    If I kneel here, everyone will see.

  8. Commands and requests

    ひざまずきなさい、 と おうさま が いった。

    "Kneel," said the king.

  9. Passive and causative

    レストラン で とつぜん ひざまずかれて、 びっくり した。

    He suddenly went down on one knee in the restaurant, and I was startled.

Good to know

  • ひざまずく is going down on your knees, from ひざ, knee. The proposal on one knee is a Western custom, now often done for the photo; the formal way to sit on your knees is せいざ する.

Where you hear ひざまずく

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Fluency Level 3

  • けんた は、 れんしゅう で ひざまずく。 Kenta kneels in the practice.
  • かれ は、 ひざまずいて、 ぼく の て を とった。 He knelt and took my hand.
  • あした、 なつき の まえ で ひざまずく よ。 Tomorrow I'll kneel in front of Natsuki.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).