息いきつく

い

き

つ

く

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ku)

take a breath; catch one's breath; take a short rest

Often used when pausing to breathe after exertion or to rest briefly. The phrase 息をつく is more common in modern Japanese, but 息つく is used in similar contexts.

Written forms

息いきつく
Standard kanji spelling for this verb.
息いき吐つく
Rare variant; 吐く suggests exhaling, but the verb is not limited to exhalation.
息いき付つく
Rare variant; 付く is not the usual kanji for this meaning.

Kanji

息breath, respiration, son
吐spit, vomit, belch
付adhere, attach, refer to

Similar words

息いきをつく
More common and idiomatic expression with the same meaning. 息つく is a single verb form, while 息をつく is a phrase with the particle を.
一ひと息いきつく
Means 'to take a short rest' or 'to pause for breath', often used when taking a break from work or activity. 息つく focuses more on the act of breathing itself.

Etymology

Compound of 息 (breath) and つく (to take in, to breathe). The exact derivation of つく is uncertain, but it is related to breathing or drawing in.