The Meaning of nagare-ru [流れる] In Japanese

流れる
ながれる
Romaji: nagare-ru N5

What does 流れる mean?

Translation and Meaning

flow, run, drift, stream, be carried along, be transmitted

Definition

Flow is the core meaning of 流れる: to move continuously along a path of water or other liquid. It describes liquids in motion, rivers and streams, and can extend metaphorically to time, information, or phenomena that progress smoothly.

Type

verb (godan, intransitive)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Physical flow of liquids, rivers, or gases as subject in motion
  • Metaphorical flow of time, information, or intangible phenomena that progress smoothly
  • Flow of sound, light, or other phenomena that appear to move or spread
  • More broadly, something carried along by a current or influence

Composition

  • 流: water-related concept indicating movement and flow
  • れる: okurigana marking verb inflection; joins the stem 流 to form the intransitive verb

Usage

In concrete contexts it appears with liquids and natural streams; in abstract contexts it describes time, information, or music that progresses without interruption. The verb is intransitive; the polite form 流れます is used in formal contexts; common constructions include 水が流れる and 時間が流れる.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic tip: Visualize a river on the left edge of the kanji (water radical) carrying leaves downstream; the rest of the character suggests motion, so 流れる means the water keeps moving. Remember that 流す is the related transitive form meaning to let something flow or to broadcast.

Variations

  • 流れる (nagare-ru): intransitive flow
  • 流す (nagasu): transitive, to cause to flow or to stream something, to publish
  • 流通する (ryūtsū suru): to circulate (goods, information)

Example Phrases

  • 公園で 水が 流れる ように 心が 落ち着く。
    Kōen de mizu ga nagareru yō ni kokoro ga ochitsuku.
    My heart calms as water flows at the park.
    Lista:
    • 公園で (kōen de) – at the park
    • 水が (mizu ga) – the water
    • 流れる (nagareru) – flows
    • ように (yō ni) – as
    • 心が (kokoro ga) – the heart
    • 落ち着く (ochitsuku) – calms
    「流れる」 is an intransitive verb; here it uses water flowing as a metaphor to describe calm.
流れる