手を尽くす

• Reading: てをつくす
• Romaji: te wo tsukusu
• Kanji breakdown: 手 (te/shu) — hand, means; 尽 (tsuku/jin) — to exhaust, use up
• Pronunciation: /te.o.tsɯ.kɯ.sɯ/

Meaning

To try all possible means; to exhaust every option. Used when someone does everything in their power to achieve a result.

A compound expression combining 手 (hand/means) with 尽くす (to exhaust). Grammatically follows Group 1 (godan) conjugation via 尽くす. Often used in serious or urgent situations where significant effort has been made.

Examples

1. 医者は手を尽くしたが、患者の命を救えなかった。 The doctors tried everything they could, but were unable to save the patient's life.
2. 彼女は就職活動で手を尽くして、ようやく内定をもらった。 She exhausted every option during her job search and finally received a job offer.
3. チーム全員が手を尽くした結果、プロジェクトは成功した。 As a result of the entire team giving everything they had, the project was a success.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, business, problem-solving

Tone: serious

Origin & History

Idiomatic expression from classical Japanese. 手 metaphorically means 'means' or 'method,' and 尽くす means 'to exhaust completely.'

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal