極める · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 極める | 極めない |
| Polite | 極めます | 極めません |
| Past polite | 極めました | 極めませんでした |
| Past | 極めた | 極めなかった |
| Te-form | 極めて | 極めないで |
| Desire | 極めたい | 極めたくない |
| Potential | 極められるalso 極めれる | 極められないalso 極めれない |
| Passive | 極められる | 極められない |
| Causative | 極めさせる | 極めさせない |
| Causative passive | 極めさせられる | 極めさせられない |
| Volitional | 極めよう | |
| Polite volitional | 極めましょう | |
| Imperative | 極めろ | 極めるな |
| Conditional | 極めれば | 極めなければ |
| Tara conditional | 極めたら | 極めなかったら |
ichidan verb, transitive verb
take to the limit; pursue to the utmost; reach the end of
Used with objects such as a skill, way, field, or path to mean carrying it as far as it can go. In many contexts this can imply mastery, but the core idea is reaching the utmost limit.
He spent his life pursuing that path to its utmost.
A craftsperson trains for years until they have taken a single skill to its limit.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
reach a peak; be extremely; be at the height of
Often used in the pattern noun + を極める, where the noun names a state such as luxury, busyness, hardship, or confusion. Although grammatically transitive, it often translates naturally as 'be extremely ...' in English.
The department was extremely busy at the end of the year.
The palace, lavish to the extreme, is attracting tourists.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
exhaust completely; use every possible word; leave nothing unsaid
Only when written 極める
Limited use, especially in expressions like 口を極めて褒める or 口を極めて非難する, meaning to praise or criticize in the strongest possible terms. Restricted this sense to the spelling 極める.
The critic denounced the film in the strongest possible terms.
The professor praised her research with every possible word of approval.
He mastered calligraphy to its fullest.
The road was extremely congested.
He praised her in the strongest possible terms.
certified; guaranteed · acknowledged; acclaimed; notorious · pièce de résistance; highlight; best part
certified; guaranteed (genuine) · of established reputation; acknowledged; notorious · pièce de résistance; the best (or worst) example