尻尾を巻く

Japanese

Alternative spelling
尻尾を卷く (kyūjitai)

From 尻尾 (“tail”) +‎ を (“direct object marker”) +‎ 巻く (“to tuck”).

尻尾(しっぽ)を巻(ま)く • (shippo o maku) godan (stem 尻尾(しっぽ)を巻(ま)き (shippo o maki), past 尻尾(しっぽ)を巻(ま)いた (shippo o maita))

(idiomatic) to tuck one's tail between one's legs; to admit defeat; to turn tail (and run)
尻尾(しっぽ)を巻(ま)いて逃(に)げ出(だ)す
shippo o maite nigedasu
to admit defeat and run away

Conjugation of "尻尾を巻く" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)
Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	尻尾を巻か	しっぽをまか	shippo o maka
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	尻尾を巻き	しっぽをまき	shippo o maki
Shūshikei ("terminal")	尻尾を巻く	しっぽをまく	shippo o maku
Rentaikei ("attributive")	尻尾を巻く	しっぽをまく	shippo o maku
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	尻尾を巻け	しっぽをまけ	shippo o make
Meireikei ("imperative")	尻尾を巻け	しっぽをまけ	shippo o make
Key constructions
Passive	尻尾を巻かれる	しっぽをまかれる	shippo o makareru
Causative	尻尾を巻かせる尻尾を巻かす	しっぽをまかせるしっぽをまかす	shippo o makaseru shippo o makasu
Potential	尻尾を巻ける	しっぽをまける	shippo o makeru
Volitional	尻尾を巻こう	しっぽをまこう	shippo o makō
Negative	尻尾を巻かない	しっぽをまかない	shippo o makanai
Negative continuative	尻尾を巻かず	しっぽをまかず	shippo o makazu
Formal	尻尾を巻きます	しっぽをまきます	shippo o makimasu
Perfective	尻尾を巻いた	しっぽをまいた	shippo o maita
Conjunctive	尻尾を巻いて	しっぽをまいて	shippo o maite
Hypothetical conditional	尻尾を巻けば	しっぽをまけば	shippo o makeba