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.
The caught fish is struggling desperately in the net.
彼は痛みでのたうち回り、もがき苦しんだ。
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.
彼は借金の返済にもがいている。
He is struggling to pay off his debts.
チームは最下位から抜け出そうともがいたが、結局負けた。
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.