尽きる

• Reading: つきる
• Romaji: tsukiru
• Kanji breakdown: 尽 (jin/tsu) — exhaust, use up, deplete
• Pronunciation: /tsɯ.ki.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To be used up; to be exhausted; to run out; to come to an end.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb describing the state of something being completely depleted. Used for both concrete resources (food, money) and abstract concepts (patience, topics, luck). Often appears in literary or dramatic contexts to convey finality.

Examples

1. 長い議論の末、彼の忍耐は尽きた。 After a long debate, his patience finally ran out.
2. 食料が尽きる前に山を下りなければならない。 We have to get down the mountain before the food runs out.
3. 話題が尽きることなく夜遅くまで語り合った。 We talked late into the night, never running out of things to say.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, daily life, survival situations

Tone: dramatic

Origin & History

From the kanji 尽 meaning to exhaust or deplete. Shares its root with 尽くす (to use up, transitive). The kanji depicts a vessel being emptied to the last drop.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal