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切羽詰まる (せっぱつまる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
be cornered ; be in a desperate situation ; be at one's wits' end
Describes a state of being under extreme pressure with no way out, often used in serious or urgent contexts. The literal image is of a sword guard (切羽) being tightly packed, leaving no room.
See also: 切羽 (せっぱ)
切せっ 羽ぱ 詰つ まっ た 表ひょう 情じょう で 助たす け を 求もと め て き た 。
He came asking for help with a desperate look on his face.
Written forms 切せっ 羽ぱ 詰つ まる Usage 34%
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news and common usage.
せっぱつまる Usage 22%
切せっ 羽ぱ つまる Usage 15%
search-only kanji form
Search-only mixed kanji-kana form; not a standard spelling.
切せっ 羽ぱ 詰つま る Usage 14%
Variant with simplified 詰る; less common but still encountered.
せっぱ 詰つ まる Usage 13%
search-only kanji form
Search-only mixed kana-kanji form; not a standard spelling.
せっぱ 詰つま る Usage 1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only mixed kana-kanji form; not a standard spelling.
Kanji 羽 feathers, counter for birds, rabbits Similar words 追お い 詰つ められる 追い詰められる is the passive of 追い詰める (to corner someone), emphasizing being driven into a corner by external forces. 切羽詰まる focuses on the internal state of desperation and pressure, often without an explicit agent.
絶ぜっ 体たい 絶ぜつ 命めい 絶体絶命 is a noun/adjectival noun meaning a truly desperate, life-or-death situation. 切羽詰まる is a verb describing the feeling of being under such pressure, and is less extreme; it can be used for everyday predicaments.
Etymology From 切羽 (せっぱ, the guard of a sword) and 詰まる (つまる, to be packed tightly). The image is of a sword guard being so tightly fitted that there is no room to move, metaphorically extended to a situation with no escape.
