動作・移動

次つぎの会場かいじょうへバスで移動いどうします。

We'll move to the next venue by bus.

Usage 移動 is moving from place to place: 移動する, 移動時間 (travel time), 移動中 (on the move). 異動 (same reading) is a job transfer.

Remember it 移 (to shift) + 動 (to move) → shifting and moving.

大型おおがたの台風たいふうが日本にほんに接近せっきんしている。

A large typhoon is approaching Japan.

Usage 接近 is approaching or drawing near: 台風が接近する, 〜に接近する. It sounds more formal and physical than 近づく (ちかづく).

Remember it 接 (to touch, join) + 近 (near) → getting near enough to touch.

自転車じてんしゃが車くるまと接触せっしょくする事故じこがあった。

There was an accident in which a bicycle made contact with a car.

Usage 接触 is physical contact or getting in touch: 接触事故 (a minor collision), 接触を避ける, 〜と接触する (contact someone). 接触が悪い = a loose connection.

Remember it 接 (to join) + 触 (to touch) → touching and joining.

この電車でんしゃは次つぎの駅えきを通過つうかします。

This train will pass through the next station without stopping.

Usage 通過 is passing through without stopping: 駅を通過する, 通過列車 (non-stop train), and passing a stage: 審査を通過する (pass a screening).

Remember it 通 (to pass through) + 過 (to go by) → going by and passing through.

猫ねこが道みちを横切よこぎった。

A cat crossed the road.

Usage 横切る = to cross or cut across: 道を横切る, 目の前を横切る (pass in front of you). 渡る (わたる) is crossing a road or bridge deliberately.

Remember it 横 (sideways) + 切る (to cut) → cutting across sideways.

地図ちずを見みながら、細ほそい道みちを辿たどった。

I followed the narrow path while looking at the map.

Usage 辿る = to follow a path or trace: 道を辿る, 記憶を辿る (search your memory), 〜の一途を辿る (keep heading one way, as in 減少の一途を辿る).

Remember it 辶 (walking road) + 山 (mountain) → following a road over the mountains.

夏休なつやすみに京都きょうとのお寺てらを巡めぐった。

During summer vacation, I toured the temples of Kyoto.

Usage 巡る = to go around or tour: 名所を巡る, 季節が巡る (the seasons come around), 〜を巡って (concerning, as in 問題を巡って).

Remember it 巛 (a winding river) + 辶 (road) → going round and round like a winding river.

混雑こんざつを避さけて、早はやめに出発しゅっぱつした。

I left early to avoid the crowds.

Usage 避ける = to avoid: 人を避ける, 混雑を避ける, 〜は避けられない (unavoidable). よける is more physical dodging: 車をよける.

Remember it 辶 (road) + 辟 (to step aside) → stepping off the road to avoid something.

犯人はんにんは車くるまで逃にげた。

The culprit fled by car.

Usage 逃げる = to run away or escape: 逃げ出す (make a run for it), 責任から逃げる (dodge responsibility). 逃す (のがす) means to miss a chance.

Remember it 辶 (road) + 兆 (sign, omen) → seeing a bad omen and hitting the road.

警察けいさつが逃にげた男おとこを追おっている。

The police are chasing the man who fled.

Usage 追う = to chase or pursue: 夢を追う (chase a dream), 流行を追う (follow trends), 追いかける (run after), 追いつく (catch up).

Remember it 辶 (road) + 𠂤 → following someone down the road.

忘わすれ物ものをしたので、家いえに戻もどった。

I forgot something, so I went back home.

Usage 戻る = to go back or return to where you were: 席に戻る, 元に戻る (return to normal). 帰る is going home; 戻る is returning to any previous place or state.

Remember it 戸 (door) + 大 (a person) → a person coming back through the door.

工事こうじは予定よていどおりに進すすんでいる。

The construction is progressing on schedule.

Usage 進む = to advance or progress: 前に進む, 話が進む, 時計が進む (a clock runs fast), 進んで〜する (do willingly).

Remember it 辶 (road) + 隹 (bird) → a bird that only moves forward along the road.

雪ゆきが強つよくなったので、途中とちゅうで引ひき返かえした。

The snow got heavier, so we turned back halfway.

Usage 引き返す = to turn back the way you came: 途中で引き返す, もう引き返せない (there's no turning back). 戻る is going back more generally.

Remember it 引く (to pull) + 返す (to return) → pulling back the way you came.

帰かえりにコンビニに立たち寄よった。

I stopped by a convenience store on the way home.

Usage 立ち寄る = to drop in on the way: 〜に立ち寄る, 立ち寄り先 (stops along the way). 寄る alone is also common: コンビニに寄る.

Remember it 立つ (to stand) + 寄る (to stop by) → stopping by briefly.

重おもいスーツケースを引ひきずって歩あるいた。

I walked along dragging a heavy suitcase.

Usage 引きずる = to drag: 足を引きずる (limp), 荷物を引きずる. Figuratively, to be unable to let go: 過去を引きずる (be stuck in the past).

Remember it 引く (to pull) + ずる (to slide along) → pulling something along the ground.

セールの初日しょにち、大勢おおぜいの客きゃくが押おし寄よせた。

On the first day of the sale, crowds of customers came flooding in.

Usage 押し寄せる = to surge or flood in: 波が押し寄せる, 人が押し寄せる, 不安が押し寄せる (anxiety washes over you).

Remember it 押す (to push) + 寄せる (to bring close) → pushing in all at once.

雪ゆきの道みちで滑すべって転ころんだ。

I slipped and fell on the snowy road.

Usage 転ぶ = to fall over, trip: 階段で転ぶ, 転んでけがをする. The saying 転ばぬ先の杖 means 'better safe than sorry'.

Remember it 車 (wheel) + 云 → tumbling like a wheel rolling over.

雨あめの日ひは床ゆかが滑すべりやすいので気きをつけて。

The floor gets slippery on rainy days, so be careful.

Usage 滑る = to slip or slide: 滑りやすい (slippery), スキーで滑る. Figuratively, 口が滑る (let something slip) and 試験に滑る (fail an exam).

Remember it 氵 (water) + 骨 (bone) → water over bone, smooth enough to slip on.

地震じしんで家いえが大おおきく揺ゆれた。

The house shook violently in the earthquake.

Usage 揺れる = to sway or shake: 船が揺れる, 心が揺れる (be torn). 揺らす is the transitive form: to rock or shake something.

Remember it 扌 (hand) + 䍃 → a hand rocking something back and forth.

寒さむくて体からだが震ふるえた。

I was so cold my body shook.

Usage 震える = to tremble or shiver: 寒さで震える, 声が震える (your voice shakes), 手が震える. 揺れる is the swaying of objects.

Remember it 雨 (rain) + 辰 (thunder dragon) → shaking like the sky in a storm. The same 震 as 地震 (earthquake).

強つよい風かぜで木きが倒たおれた。

A tree was blown down by the strong wind.

Usage 倒れる = to fall over, collapse: 木が倒れる, 過労で倒れる (collapse from overwork), 会社が倒れる (a company goes under). 倒す is the transitive form.

Remember it 亻 (person) + 到 (to arrive) → a person arriving at the ground.

夕日ゆうひが海うみに沈しずんでいく。

The evening sun is sinking into the sea.

Usage 沈む = to sink: 船が沈む, 日が沈む (the sun sets), 気持ちが沈む (feel down). Its opposite is 浮かぶ or 浮く.

Remember it 氵 (water) + 冘 → sinking beneath the water.

いいアイデアが頭あたまに浮うかんだ。

A good idea came to mind.

Usage 浮かぶ = to float, or to come to mind: 雲が浮かぶ, アイデアが浮かぶ, 涙が浮かぶ (tears well up). 浮かべる is the transitive form.

Remember it 氵 (water) + 孚 (to protect) → held up gently on the water.

台所だいどころからいい匂においが漂ただよってきた。

A nice smell came wafting from the kitchen.

Usage 漂う = to drift or waft: 船が漂う, 香りが漂う, 緊張感が漂う (tension hangs in the air).

Remember it 氵 (water) + 票 (floating slip) → a slip of paper drifting on water.

年としを取とって髪かみの毛けが抜ぬけてきた。

As I've got older, my hair has started falling out.

Usage 抜ける = to come out or slip away: 髪が抜ける, 力が抜ける (go limp), 会議を抜ける (slip out of a meeting), トンネルを抜ける (come out of a tunnel). 抜く is transitive.

Remember it 扌 (hand) + 犮 → pulling something out by hand.

天気てんき予報よほうが外はずれて、雨あめに降ふられた。

The weather forecast was wrong, and I got caught in the rain.

Usage 外れる = to come off or miss: ボタンが外れる, 予想が外れる (a guess misses), くじが外れる (lose a lottery). Its opposite is 当たる.

Remember it 外 (outside) → ending up outside the mark.

注文ちゅうもんした本ほんが昨日きのう届とどいた。

The book I ordered arrived yesterday.

Usage 届く = to arrive or reach: 荷物が届く, 手が届く (within reach), 思いが届く (your feelings get across). 届ける is the transitive form.

Remember it 尸 (a body, a house) + 由 → something arriving at the house.

拾ひろった財布さいふを交番こうばんに届とどけた。

I handed in the wallet I found at the police box.

Usage 届ける = to deliver or report to an authority: 荷物を届ける, 警察に届ける. The noun 届け (とどけ) is an official notice: 欠席届, 婚姻届.

Remember it 届 (to reach) → making something reach the right person.

引ひっ越こしの荷物にもつを二階にかいまで運はこんだ。

I carried the moving boxes up to the second floor.

Usage 運ぶ = to carry or transport: 荷物を運ぶ, 足を運ぶ (make the trip, visit), 話がうまく運ぶ (things go smoothly).

Remember it 辶 (road) + 軍 (army) → an army carrying supplies down the road.

トラックに荷物にもつを積つんだ。

We loaded the luggage onto the truck.

Usage 積む = to pile up or load: 荷物を積む, 経験を積む (gain experience), 雪が積もる (snow piles up, intransitive). 積極的 uses the same kanji.

Remember it 禾 (grain) + 責 → piling up sheaves of grain.

箱はこに本ほんをぎっしり詰つめた。

I packed the box full of books.

Usage 詰める = to pack or close a gap: 箱に詰める, 席を詰める (move over), 話を詰める (iron out the details). 詰まる is intransitive: 鼻が詰まる (a stuffy nose).

Remember it 言 (words) + 吉 → words packed tightly together.

本ほんにしおりを挟はさんだ。

I put a bookmark in the book.

Usage 挟む = to put between or sandwich: パンにハムを挟む, 指を挟む (catch your finger), 口を挟む (butt in), 休憩を挟む (take a break in between).

Remember it 扌 (hand) + 夾 (squeezed between) → a hand holding something squeezed between.

使つかった皿さらを重かさねて片付かたづけた。

I stacked the used plates and cleared them away.

Usage 重ねる = to stack or repeat: 皿を重ねる, 努力を重ねる (keep making efforts), 年を重ねる (grow older). 重なる is intransitive: 予定が重なる (plans clash).

Remember it 重 (layers, heavy) → putting layer on layer.

家族かぞくが私わたしを支ささえてくれた。

My family supported me.

Usage 支える = to support or hold up: 家族を支える, 生活を支える, 柱が屋根を支える (pillars hold up the roof). 応援する is cheering someone on.

Remember it 十 (a branch) + 又 (hand) → a hand propping something up with a branch.

彼かれは多おおくの問題もんだいを抱かかえている。

He's carrying a lot of problems.

Usage 抱える = to hold in your arms, or to be burdened with: 荷物を抱える, 悩みを抱える, 頭を抱える (be at your wits' end). 抱く (だく) is hugging.

Remember it 扌 (hand) + 包 (to wrap) → wrapping your arms around something.

部屋へやの家具かぐの配置はいちを変かえた。

I rearranged the furniture in the room.

Usage 配置 is arrangement or deployment: 家具の配置, 人員配置 (staffing), 配置転換 (reassignment). 設置 is installing something.

Remember it 配 (to distribute) + 置 (to place) → distributing and placing.

駅えきにエレベーターが設置せっちされた。

An elevator was installed at the station.

Usage 設置 is installing or setting up: 防犯カメラを設置する, 委員会を設置する (set up a committee). Its opposite is 撤去.

Remember it 設 (to establish) + 置 (to place) → establishing something in place.

駅前えきまえの放置ほうち自転車じてんしゃが撤去てっきょされた。

The abandoned bicycles in front of the station were removed.

Usage 撤去 is removing or dismantling something installed: 撤去する, 撤去作業. It's often seen on signs about illegally parked bikes. 撤退 (てったい) is withdrawing troops or a business.

Remember it 撤 (to remove) + 去 (to leave) → removing so it's gone.

家いえから会社かいしゃまで往復おうふくで二時間にじかんかかる。

It takes two hours to get to work and back.

Usage 往復 = a round trip: 往復切符 (return ticket), 往復する (go back and forth). Its opposite is 片道. 往復はがき is a postcard with a reply card attached.

Remember it 往 (to go) + 復 (to return) → going and returning.

東京とうきょうまで片道かたみち三千円さんぜんえんかかる。

It costs 3,000 yen one way to Tokyo.

Usage 片道 = one way: 片道切符 (one-way ticket), 片道一時間 (an hour each way). 片 means one of a pair: 片手 (one hand), 片思い (unrequited love).

Remember it 片 (one side) + 道 (way) → one way.