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beginner Japanese language self-learner here. I hope my question isn't a bad question.

As title suggested, I would like to know about the difference between the two verbs which I understood have the same dictionary meaning, "to dedicate." However, beyond the fact that ささぐ is a 五段 verb and ささげる is an 一段 verb, I really have no idea how/when to use which.

Thank you,

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    The dictionaries on Yahoo (大辞泉・大辞林) seem to say that ささぐ is a literary (文語) form of ささげる, so I imagine they have the same meaning. They also say ささぐ is a 下二段 verb rather than a 五段 verb. Since you say you're a beginner, perhaps you can stick to ささげる and ignore the literary form?
    – user1478
    Commented Feb 7, 2013 at 3:38
  • here's a context: I found ささぐ from a song, 「君にささぐ」which even I could guess the meaning. But then, as I practiced my reading with a book, I found 「おとなにささげる」and that led me to wonder what is the difference between the two. Also, the verb classifications I mentioned above is from imiwa, a Japanese dictionary (among others) app for iOS.
    – Rhama Arya Wibawa
    Commented Feb 7, 2013 at 3:55
  • Ah, I bet it uses edict. It looks like edict says ささぐ is a 五段 verb.
    – user1478
    Commented Feb 7, 2013 at 3:58
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    Yet another victim of the wrong information in EDICT…. As snailplane said, ささぐ is a 下二段 verb in Classical Japanese, not a 五段 verb.
    – Tsuyoshi Ito
    Commented Feb 7, 2013 at 4:42
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    Possibly related: japanese.stackexchange.com/q/5506/78
    – istrasci
    Commented Feb 7, 2013 at 15:18

1 Answer 1

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The meaning is exactly the same, but you'll only see ささぐ used in old/formal written text or in lyrics where the number of syllables matter a lot.

For all the other uses, stick to ささげる.

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  • ah, "where the number of syllables matter a lot," makes it a lot clearer. Thanks.
    – Rhama Arya Wibawa
    Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 4:57
  • I wasn't very clear, but "number of syllables matter a lot" refers to the use in lyrics alone. In written text it can be used without regard to syllables. For example, in a stele you would see ささぐ more commonly than ささげる
    – Kohsuke Kawaguchi
    Commented Feb 11, 2013 at 5:03

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