もがく · godan verb (-ku)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | もがく | もがかない |
| Polite | もがきます | もがきません |
| Past polite | もがきました | もがきませんでした |
| Past | もがいた | もがかなかった |
| Te-form | もがいて | もがかないで |
| Desire | もがきたい | もがきたくない |
| Potential | もがける | もがけない |
| Passive | もがかれる | もがかれない |
| Causative | もがかせる | もがかせない |
| Causative passive | もがかせられるalso もがかされる | もがかせられないalso もがかされない |
| Volitional | もがこう | |
| Polite volitional | もがきましょう | |
| Imperative | もがけ | もがくな |
| Conditional | もがけば | もがかなければ |
| Tara conditional | もがいたら | もがかなかったら |
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
Physical struggling or thrashing, often against a restraint or in pain.
捕まった魚が網の中で必死にもがいている。
The caught fish is struggling desperately in the net.
He writhed in pain, struggling in agony.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
struggle; make desperate efforts
Figurative use: trying frantically to overcome a difficult situation, often with limited success.
He is struggling to pay off his debts.
The team struggled to escape last place, but ended up losing.
I was about to drown and thrashed about in the water.
He was struggling desperately to escape his debts.
He struggled frantically to turn the sinking company around.
No matter how hard I struggled, the situation didn't change.
苦しむ describes the state of suffering itself, while 藻掻く describes the active, thrashing effort to escape that suffering.
Rare ateji spelling; not recommended for learners.