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抱きつく (だきつく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

抱だきつく

だ

き

つ

く

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

cling to; embrace tightly; throw one's arms around

Describes the action of holding onto someone or something tightly, often with emotion or desperation. Can be used for both people and objects.

子こ供どもが母はは親おやに抱だきついた。
The child clung to their mother.
彼かれは驚おどろいて柱はしらに抱だきついた。
He was so surprised that he threw his arms around the pillar.

Written forms

抱だきつくUsage89%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
だきつくUsage6%
Kana spelling; common in casual writing or when the kanji is not needed.
抱だき着つくUsage3%
Alternate kanji spelling using 着く; emphasizes the physical clinging aspect.
抱だき付つくUsage3%
Alternate kanji spelling using 付く; less common but still encountered.

Kanji

抱embrace, hug, hold in arms
着don, arrive, wear
付adhere, attach, refer to

Similar words

抱だく
抱く is a transitive verb meaning 'to hold in one's arms' or 'to embrace', often with a more gentle or sustained nuance. 抱きつく is intransitive and emphasizes the sudden or tight clinging action.
しがみつく
しがみつく also means 'to cling to', but often implies a more desperate or tenacious grip, sometimes used figuratively (e.g., clinging to hope). 抱きつく focuses on the physical embrace.

Etymology

Compound of 抱き (daki, the continuative form of 抱く 'to embrace') + つく (tsuku, 'to attach' or 'to cling'). The combination yields the meaning 'to cling to by embracing'.