What does 付く mean?
付く is a Japanese verb meaning “to be attached, to stick” in English. It can also be translated as “to be acquired (of a habit)” depending on context. It is written as 付く in kanji, つく in hiragana, and tsuku in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N3 vocabulary.
Example sentences
ボイラは湯あかがびっしりついた。
The boiler was heavily scaled.
それらの牛には焼き印がついている。
The cattle are marked with brands.
彼は妻が死んで以来酒を飲む癖がついた。
He has taken to drinking since the death of his wife.
Conjugation of 付く
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 付くつく | 付かないつかない |
| Plain past | 付いたついた | 付かなかったつかなかった |
| Polite | 付きますつきます | 付きませんつきません |
| Polite past | 付きましたつきました | 付きませんでしたつきませんでした |
Other forms
Te-form付いてついて
Potential付けるつける
Passive付かれるつかれる
Volitional付こうつこう
Causative付かせるつかせる
Conditional付けばつけば
,
Transitive partner
付く (it happens by itself)·付ける (someone does it)
付く describes something happening by itself. 付ける describes someone doing it to something. Japanese keeps these apart where English often uses one verb for both.