藁をも掴む · godan verb (-mu)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 藁をも掴む | 藁をも掴まない |
| Polite | 藁をも掴みます | 藁をも掴みません |
| Past polite | 藁をも掴みました | 藁をも掴みませんでした |
| Past | 藁をも掴んだ | 藁をも掴まなかった |
| Te-form | 藁をも掴んで | 藁をも掴まないで |
| Desire | 藁をも掴みたい | 藁をも掴みたくない |
| Potential | 藁をも掴める | 藁をも掴めない |
| Passive | 藁をも掴まれる | 藁をも掴まれない |
| Causative | 藁をも掴ませる | 藁をも掴ませない |
| Causative passive | 藁をも掴ませられるalso 藁をも掴まされる | 藁をも掴ませられないalso 藁をも掴まされない |
| Volitional | 藁をも掴もう | |
| Polite volitional | 藁をも掴みましょう | |
| Imperative | 藁をも掴め | 藁をも掴むな |
| Conditional | 藁をも掴めば | 藁をも掴まなければ |
| Tara conditional | 藁をも掴んだら | 藁をも掴まなかったら |
grasp at straws; resort to desperate measures
Idiomatic expression meaning to cling to anything, however unreliable, when in a desperate situation. Often used in the form 藁をも掴む思い.
See also: 藁にもすがる
彼は藁をも掴む思いで、その怪しい投資話に飛びついた。
He jumped at the dubious investment opportunity, grasping at straws in desperation.
With a feeling of grasping at straws, I accepted any help I could get.