Translation guide
The English word 'crawling' can refer to a baby's movement, insect movement, slow traffic, or a creepy sensation. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
赤ちゃんがハイハイしている。
The baby is crawling.
蜘蛛が壁を這っている。
A spider is crawling on the wall.
To describe a baby moving on hands and knees.
The most common word for a baby's crawling. Often used as a noun or suru-verb.
赤ちゃんがハイハイしている。
The baby is crawling.
General verb for crawling, but for babies, ハイハイ is more common.
赤ちゃんが床を這っている。
The baby is crawling on the floor.
To describe bugs, spiders, or other small creatures moving along a surface.
Standard verb for crawling of insects, snakes, etc.
蜘蛛が壁を這っている。
A spider is crawling on the wall.
Emphasizes crawling around, often with a sense of creepiness or aimlessness.
To describe vehicles moving very slowly, as in a traffic jam.
Describes crawling traffic. のろのろ is an onomatopoeia for slow movement.
高速道路でのろのろ運転が続いている。
Traffic is crawling on the highway.
Literally 'not moving due to traffic jam', often used to describe crawling traffic.
渋滞で車が全然進まない。
The cars are barely crawling because of the traffic jam.
To express a feeling of disgust or fear that makes one's skin crawl.
Literally 'goosebumps stand up', used for both fear and disgust. Often translated as 'makes my skin crawl'.
その話を聞いて鳥肌が立った。
That story made my skin crawl.
Expresses a shudder or creepy feeling, often used for something scary or disgusting.
あの映画を見てぞっとした。
That movie made my skin crawl.
To describe a place teeming with insects, people, etc.
General expression for 'full of'. Not specific to crawling, but natural.
公園はアリでいっぱいだ。
The park is crawling with ants.
Colloquial, vivid expression for 'crawling with' small creatures or people, often negative.
台所にゴキブリがうじゃうじゃいる。
The kitchen is crawling with cockroaches.
While 這う means 'crawl', it is not used for slow traffic. Use のろのろ運転 or 渋滞 expressions instead.
ゴキブリが台所を這い回っている。
A cockroach is crawling around the kitchen.