Skip to content
JLPT N3Verb Forms

～ぬく— Do It All the Way Through

Attached to a verb stem to mean carrying an action through to the very end, overcoming difficulty. It stresses persistence and completion despite hardship. This differs from きる, which emphasizes finishing completely without the nuance of struggling through.

Grammar path · 練習

Practice this in the path

A short lesson: the pattern, its sentence anatomy, a quick quiz and a sentence to build.

Pro lessonUNIT 80 · VERB FORMS

Structure · 形

[Verb ます-stem] + ぬく

Examples · 例文

  • 最後まで諦めずに走りぬいた。

    Saigo made akiramezu ni hashirinuita.

    I ran all the way to the end without giving up.

    走る stem 走り + ぬく (past ぬいた) stresses running through to the finish despite hardship.

  • 自分で決めたことなら、やりぬくべきだ。

    Jibun de kimeta koto nara, yarinuku beki da.

    If it's something you decided yourself, you should see it through.

    やる stem やり + ぬく conveys carrying the task through to completion.

  • 苦しい時期を耐えぬいて、彼は成功した。

    Kurushii jiki o taenuite, kare wa seikou shita.

    Having endured the hard times all the way through, he succeeded.

    耐える stem 耐え + ぬく (て-form 耐えぬいて) emphasizes enduring to the very end.

Usage notes · 注意

  • Register: neutral / somewhat emphatic; frequent in encouraging or determined contexts.
  • Carries a nuance of effort and perseverance against difficulty.
  • Common mistake: don't confuse with 抜く (to pull out) — here it is an auxiliary (補助) verb of completion.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～ぬく is tested against.

vsきる

ぬく stresses persevering through hardship to the end; きる simply means finishing completely or doing thoroughly, without the connotation of struggle.

vsとおす

ぬく emphasizes overcoming difficulty to reach the end; とおす (〜通す) emphasizes maintaining/continuing an action or stance consistently throughout.

More verb forms

Study Japanese grammar on LenGaki

Everything on this page, ready to study

  • 7,788 JLPT vocabulary words, N5 through N1, with readings and audio (N5 free)
  • 2,057 kanji with on'yomi, kun'yomi and stroke-order practice
  • 445 grammar points with examples and commonly-confused comparisons
  • Full-length N5 and N4 mock exams, timed, with real listening audio (N5 sets 1 and 2 free)