突き止める|つきとめるtsukitomeru[4]nakadaka (mid-high)
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
Definitions
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto determine (esp. a culprit or underlying cause); to pin down; to ascertain; to locate; to identify
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto stab to death
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 突き止める（つきとめる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 突き止めます（つきとめます） |
| Negative (nai) | 突き止めない（つきとめない） |
| polite (masen) | 突き止めません（つきとめません） |
| classical zu / nu | 突き止めず・突き止めぬ（つきとめず・つきとめぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 突き止めた（つきとめた） |
| polite (mashita) | 突き止めました（つきとめました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 突き止めなかった（つきとめなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 突き止めませんでした（つきとめませんでした） |
| Te form | 突き止めて（つきとめて） |
| Potential | 突き止められる（つきとめられる） |
| Passive | 突き止められる（つきとめられる） |
| Causative | 突き止めさせる（つきとめさせる） |
| Causative passive | 突き止めさせられる（つきとめさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 突き止めれば（つきとめれば） |
| tara | 突き止めたら（つきとめたら） |
| Volitional | 突き止めよう（つきとめよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 突き止めましょう（つきとめましょう） |
| Imperative | 突き止めろ（つきとめろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym見極めるみきわめるNeutralFor watching something through to the end and grasping its essence; 「突き止める」 is for finding out a cause, culprit or location.
- Synonym確かめるたしかめるNeutralFor confirming whether something is actually true; 「突き止める」 means finding it out through investigation.
- Synonym見定めるみさだめるWrittenWritten/formal prose for sizing something up and settling on it; 「突き止める」 stresses pursuing a matter to the very end.
- Synonym見出すみいだすWrittenWritten/formal prose for discovering something and recognizing its value; 「突き止める」 centres on ascertaining facts.
- Synonym見つけるみつけるNeutralThe most common word for finding something; 「突き止める」 stresses uncovering a cause or the truth.
- Related解明かいめいWrittenWritten/formal prose for elucidating mysteries or principles; 「突き止める」 homes in on a concrete cause or location.
- Related発見はっけんNeutralFor discovering something new; 「突き止める」 means ascertaining it through investigation.
- Related確認かくにんNeutralFor verifying or confirming something; 「突き止める」 is the result of tracking a matter down.
- Related追跡ついせきWrittenWritten/formal prose for chasing or tailing someone, or following up an investigation; 「突き止める」 is the result of that pursuit.
- Related探し出すさがしだすNeutralFor finding things or people you are looking for; 「突き止める」 usually means uncovering a cause or the truth.
- Related見つけ出すみつけだすNeutralFor picking something out from among others; 「突き止める」 stresses running a matter down to the end.
- Related探し当てるさがしあてるNeutralFor finally finding something after searching all over; 「突き止める」 centres on ascertaining it.
- Related探り当てるさぐりあてるWrittenWritten/formal prose for finding something after probing and investigating; close in sense to 「突き止める」.
- Related探り出すさぐりだすWrittenWritten/formal prose for digging out secrets or inside information; 「突き止める」 stresses getting to the bottom of things.
- Related嗅ぎ出すかぎだすCasualColloquial: to sniff out or sense something hidden; 「突き止める」 means establishing it by investigation.
- Antonym見逃すみのがすNeutralTo miss or let something slip past — the opposite of pinning it down with 「突き止める」.
- Antonym見失うみうしなうNeutralTo lose sight of or track of something — the opposite of 「突き止める」, which ends with the target pinned down.
Default: 「見つける」 for finding a thing, 「突き止める」 for tracking down a cause, culprit or location, 「解明」 for elucidating a principle, 「確かめる」 for confirming. Words like 「探し出す」 cover locating people or things; 「見逃す」 and 「見失う」 are the opposites.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
