跪ひざまずく

also: ひざまづく

ひ

ざ

ま

ず

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

kneel; genuflect

usually written using kana alone

Used for kneeling down, typically as a gesture of respect, submission, or formal apology. Often implies a deliberate, respectful action rather than just being on one's knees.

彼かれは王おうの前まえにひざまずいた。
He knelt before the king.
謝しゃ罪ざいの気

き

持も

ち

を

表あらわ

す

ため

に

、

床ゆか

に

ひざまずい

た

。

To express his apology, he knelt on the floor.

Written forms

跪くUsage32%
- ひざまずく
  Standard kanji form; usually written in kana.
- ひざまづく
ひざまずくUsage65%
Kana spelling is the most common practical written form for this word.
ひざまづくUsage3%
膝ひざまづく
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; まづく is a non-standard rendering of まずく. The reading ひざまづく is a variant pronunciation.
膝ひざまずく
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.

Kanji

跪kneel
膝knee, lap

Similar words

座すわる
座る means to sit down in general, while ひざまずく specifically means to kneel, often with a connotation of respect or formality.
正せい座ざする
正座する refers to sitting in the formal Japanese kneeling posture (seiza), which is a seated position, whereas ひざまずく is the action of going down on one or both knees, often temporarily.

Etymology

Compound of 膝 (hiza, 'knee') + まずく (mazuku, an old verb meaning 'to bend' or 'to kneel'). The kanji 跪 is a single character representing the action of kneeling.