Translation guide
Describes something being carried by water and deposited on a shore or beach. In Japanese, this is typically expressed with compound verbs or passive constructions.
Express that an object, person, or animal is brought to the shore by waves, currents, or tides.
Passive form of 打ち上げる (to wash ashore). The most common and natural way to say something is washed ashore.
クジラが海岸に打ち上げられた。
A whale was washed ashore on the beach.
たくさんの流木が打ち上げられている。
A lot of driftwood has been washed ashore.
Describe a person who ends up on a shore after a maritime accident.
Uses the same verb as for objects, but context makes it clear it's a person. Often implies being found unconscious or dead.
彼は難破して海岸に打ち上げられた。
He was shipwrecked and washed ashore on the beach.
打ち上げられる is the everyday word for 'washed ashore', used for objects, animals, and people. 漂着する is more formal and often used in news or official reports, especially for drifting objects or remains.
Do not translate 'washed ashore' word-for-word as 洗われて岸に上がる or similar. Use the established Japanese expressions above.
A more formal or written term meaning 'to drift ashore' or 'to be cast ashore'. Often used in news reports.
遺体が海岸に漂着した。
A body washed ashore on the coast.
A descriptive phrase meaning 'to be carried by waves and reach the shore'. Not a fixed expression, but can be used for clarity.
そのボトルは波に運ばれて岸に着いた。
The bottle was carried by the waves and reached the shore.
Means 'to drift to the shore'. Can be used for a person who survives and reaches land.
彼はなんとか岸に流れ着いた。
He somehow managed to wash ashore.