Japanese

Alternative forms

• 支える

Verb

閊える ‎(transitive and intransitive, ichidan conjugation, hiragana つかえる, romaji tsukaeru, historical hiragana つかへる)

1. (intransitive) to get stuck
   1. to get jammed

      引 (ひ)っ越 (こ)しているところ、家具 (かぐ)がドアで閊 (つか)えてビルに入 (はい)らなかった。

      Hikkoshite iru tokoro, kagu ga doa de tsukaete biru ni hairanakatta.

      As we were moving, some furniture got stuck in the door and wouldn't go into the building.

   2. to become clogged

      下水管 (げすいかん)が閊 (つか)えて汚水 (おすい)が溢 (あふ)れてしまった。

      Gesuikan ga tsukaete osui ga afurete shimatta.

      The sewer pipe got clogged and sewage overflowed.

   3. to get choked up, to feel pressure from anxiety or other strong emotion, such as in one's chest or throat

      胸 (むね)が閊 (つか)える、喉 (のど)が閊 (つか)える

      mune ga tsukaeru, nodo ga tsukaeru

      to feel tight in one's chest, to feel choked up in one's throat

   4. to become stiff from tension (mainly said of one's shoulders)

      色 (いろ)んな不安 (ふあん)で肩 (かた)が閊 (つか)えて来 (き)た。

      Ironna fuan de kata ga tsukaete kita.

      What with various anxieties, I got stiff in my shoulders.

2. (transitive) (archaic) to put both hands on the floor during a deep bow of thanks or supplication

   手 (て)を閊 (つか)えて座 (ざ)する

   te o tsukaete zasuru

   to take a seat with both hands on the floor in front of oneself

Conjugation

References

1. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9