The Meaning of oyogu [泳ぐ] In Japanese

泳ぐ
およぐ
Romaji: oyogu N5

What does 泳ぐ mean?

Translation and Meaning

to swim, movement through water

Definition

泳ぐ means to swim; it denotes the act of moving through water by using the arms and legs, typically for recreation or sport.

Type

verb (五段動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • to swim, moving through water using arms and legs
  • to swim as an activity for recreation or sport
  • applies to humans and animals capable of swimming
  • commonly collocates with 海で泳ぐ and プールで泳ぐ

Etymology

泳 combines 氵 water radical on the left with a phonetic element on the right; the kun reading is oyogu and the on reading is ei, showing how the character encodes both water and the sound related to swimming.

Composition

  • 氵 water radical signals the semantic field of water
  • 永 phonetic element provides the sound and a sense of flowing motion

Usage

Used to describe the act of swimming in water; in casual speech the plain form 泳ぐ is common, while 泳ぎます is used in polite contexts; common locations include 海, プール, 川を泳ぐ; it can refer to humans and animals that swim.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine water on the left and an endless stroke on the right to recall the idea of moving through water continuously; think of 永 as a flowing, long stroke that mirrors a swimmer’s motion.

Variations

  • 水泳をする, suiei o suru — to swim as a sport or training
  • 泳ぎ, oyogi — swimming as a noun or act
  • 溺れる, oboreru — to drown (antonym)

Words with the same Kanji

Example Phrases

  • 日常のプールで 子どもが 泳ぐ のを 見て 学ぶ。
    Nichijō no pūru de kodomo ga oyogu no o mite manabu.
    I learn by watching a child swim at the everyday pool.
    Lista:
    • 日常のプールで (Nichijō no pūru de) – at the everyday pool
    • 子どもが (kodomo ga) – a child
    • 泳ぐ (oyogu) – to swim
    • のを (no o) – the act of
    • 見て (mite) – watching
    • 学ぶ (manabu) – to learn
    Uso de 「のを」 para nominalizar 泳ぐ e ligar ao verbo 見て, criando a ideia de ‘watching the act of swimming’.
泳ぐ