extreme · pole

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 極 has 12 strokes and denotes an extreme or a very high degree.
• Basic usage: 極力（きょくりょく） means as much as possible or to the utmost; 極秘（ごくひ） means top secret.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Readings depend on the word
  • In 極力, 極 is read きょく; in 極秘, it is read ごく.
• The scope of as much as possible
  • In 専門用語を極力使わないようにした, someone tried to avoid technical terms as much as possible.
  • 極力 combines with the negative expression to indicate minimizing their use.
• How long something stays secret
  • 発表の日まで極秘にされた means that something was kept strictly confidential until announcement day.
  • まで marks the end of that period.