刻きざむ

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

carve; engrave; notch

Means to cut marks, letters, shapes, or grooves into a hard surface such as wood, stone, or metal.

• 石せき碑ひに名な前まえを刻きざむ。

  Engrave a name on the stone monument.

• 木きの柱はしらに小ちいさな印しるしを刻きざんだ。

  I carved a small mark into the wooden pillar.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

tick away; beat out a rhythm; mark the passage of time

Figurative extension from cutting repeated marks: a clock, heartbeat, drum, or similar subject marks time or beats a rhythm. Common objects include 時, 時間, リズム, and ビート.

• 古ふるい時計とけいが静しずかに時ときを刻きざんでいる。

  The old clock is quietly ticking away the time.

• ドラムが力ちから強づよいリズムを刻きざむ。

  The drums beat out a powerful rhythm.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

etch into one's mind; remember distinctly

Usually appears in fixed or semi-fixed expressions such as 心に刻む and 胸に刻む, meaning to remember something deeply and not forget it.

See also: 心に刻む

• 先せん生せいの言こと葉ばを心こころに刻きざんだ。

  I etched my teacher's words into my heart.

• この失しっ敗ぱいを胸むねに刻きざんで、次つぎに生いかしたい。

  I want to keep this failure firmly in mind and use it next time.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

tattoo; have tattooed

Archaic use referring to tattooing or having a tattoo put on the body; modern Japanese normally uses 入れ墨を入れる or similar expressions.

• 古ふるい文ぶん章しょうで「肌はだに刺し青せいを刻きざむ」とあれば、刺し青せいを入いれるという意い味みです。

  In old writing, 肌に刺青を刻む means to have a tattoo put on the skin.

godan verb (-mu), transitive verb

torment; afflict

Archaic and not a normal modern use of 刻む. In present-day Japanese, 苦しめる or 責めさいなむ would usually be used instead.

• 辞じ書しょでは、古ふるい「刻きざむ」に「苦くるしめる」という意い味みも載のることがある。

  Dictionaries sometimes list an old sense of 刻む meaning 'to torment.'