追究・追窮|ついきゅうtsuikyuu[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
追究追究 is the most common form; use it for thorough investigation, close inquiry, or the pursuit of truth.
追窮追窮 is a rarely used kanji-only variant of 追究, so learners will seldom need to choose it when expressing the same idea.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbthorough investigation; close inquiry; pursuit (e.g. of the truth)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 追究する（ついきゅうする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 追究します（ついきゅうします） |
| Negative (nai) | 追究しない（ついきゅうしない） |
| polite (masen) | 追究しません（ついきゅうしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 追究せず・追究せぬ（ついきゅうせず・ついきゅうせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 追究した（ついきゅうした） |
| polite (mashita) | 追究しました（ついきゅうしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 追究しなかった（ついきゅうしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 追究しませんでした（ついきゅうしませんでした） |
| Te form | 追究して（ついきゅうして） |
| Potential | 追究できる（ついきゅうできる） |
| Passive | 追究される（ついきゅうされる） |
| Causative | 追究させる（ついきゅうさせる） |
| Causative passive | 追究させられる（ついきゅうさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 追究すれば（ついきゅうすれば） |
| tara | 追究したら（ついきゅうしたら） |
| Volitional | 追究しよう（ついきゅうしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 追究しましょう（ついきゅうしましょう） |
| Imperative | 追究しろ（ついきゅうしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym追及ついきゅうWrittenSame reading as 「追究」, but used for pressing responsibility or causes to the very end, as in 「責任を追及する」; 「追究」 leans toward academic pursuit.
- Synonym究明きゅうめいWrittenWritten word for getting a cause or the truth fully clarified, as in 「原因究明」; it stresses the result of clearing something up, not the pursuit itself.
- Related取り調べとりしらべNeutralNeutral word for questioning by the police or prosecutors, and for general checking; 「追究」 is intellectual inquiry, not interrogation of people.
- Related捜査そうさWrittenWritten word for police investigations to solve crimes and gather evidence; confined to criminal cases, while 「追究」 is mostly used in scholarship.
- Related調べしらべNeutralNeutral, general word for looking into or checking something (also a musical tune); 「追究」 specifically means digging to the root of scholarship or truth.
- Related調査ちょうさNeutralThe most common everyday word for investigating; it aims to grasp the actual situation and does not stress pursuing something to its depths.
- Related検討けんとうWrittenWritten word for studying a matter from various angles to judge its merits, as in 「検討します」; it is consideration, not deep inquiry into truth.
- Related査察ささつFormalFormal word for inspecting whether rules are being followed, as in 「税務査察」; a compliance check, not a search for truth.
- Related審査しんさWrittenWritten word for screening and judging whether something passes or which entry is best, as in 「入国審査」; evaluation, not inquiry.
- Related探索たんさくWrittenWritten word for searching for something unknown or tracking down a whereabouts; hunting for things, not probing a question in depth.
- Related考証こうしょうWrittenWritten word for studying past matters through historical sources and evidence; a narrow scholarly field, unlike the broad pursuit of 「追究」.
- Related吟味ぎんみWrittenWritten word for close, careful scrutiny, especially strict selection for quality, as in 「素材を吟味する」; it examines items rather than pursuing truth.
- Related探りさぐりCasualColloquial word for secretly probing or sounding out, mostly as 「探りを入れる」; far lighter than the scholarly 「追究」.
- Related検分けんぶんWrittenWritten word for going on site to inspect and confirm, with an official flavor; a field check, not deep inquiry.
- RelatedリサーチNeutralLoanword for research or gathering data; lighter in tone than 「追究」 and with no nuance of an exhaustive, root-and-branch pursuit.
- Related査問さもんFormalFormal word for investigating and questioning the people involved face to face, as in 「査問委員会」; 「追究」 seeks principles, it does not grill people.
- Related詮索せんさくWrittenWritten word for probing into details, typically prying into other people's private affairs, with a negative, nosy nuance.
Use 「追究」 for pursuing a scholarly question to its roots, as in 「真理を追究する」; the homophonous 「追及」 targets responsibility, 「追求」 is for ideals, and 「究明」 means clarifying a cause or truth. For everyday investigation 「調査」 is the default and 「調べ」 the general term; 「捜査」 and 「取り調べ」 are police/criminal words, 「検討」 is weighing options, and 「査察」「審査」「査問」 are official checks, screening or questioning. The rest are narrower: 「探索」 searching, 「考証」 historical sources, 「吟味」 selection, 「探り」 probing, 「詮索」 prying, 「リサーチ」 research.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
See also
