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いきむ Japanese meaning | Kotomora

いきむ

い

き

む

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

strain; bear down; push

usually written using kana alone

Used for tensing abdominal muscles, as during childbirth, heavy lifting, or forceful exhalation. Often implies a grunting effort.

お産さんのとき、助じょ産さん師しさんに「いきんでください」と言いわれた。
During labor, the midwife told me, 'Please bear down.'

重おもい荷に物もつを持もち上あげようとして、いきんだ。

I strained as I tried to lift the heavy luggage.

Written forms

いきむUsage91%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 息む exists but is less common.
息いきむUsage9%
Kanji form; learners may encounter it, but kana is preferred.

Kanji

息breath, respiration, son

Similar words

踏ふん張ばる
踏ん張る focuses on bracing one's legs and holding position against force, while いきむ is about tensing the core and pushing with breath.
力りきむ
力む is a more general word for tensing muscles or straining, often with the whole body; いきむ specifically involves abdominal pressure and breath-holding.

Etymology

Derived from 息 (iki, 'breath') + む (mu, verb-forming suffix), literally 'to breath-hold and strain'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the connection to breath is clear.