Translation guide
The English word 'flow' covers movement of liquids, gases, and abstract things like time, traffic, or ideas. Japanese uses different words depending on what is flowing and how.
Describing the smooth, continuous movement of water, air, or other fluids.
General noun for a flow or stream of liquid, gas, or even abstract things like time or traffic.
The river's flow is fast.
Intransitive verb: to flow (liquid, gas, time, etc.). Use this when the subject itself flows.
Transitive verb: to make something flow, to pour, to flush. Use when someone causes the flow.
Describing the steady movement of crowds, traffic, or a line of things.
Describing the progression or sequence of abstract things like time, a story, or a discussion.
Describing the flow of something specific like blood, electric current, or data.
Blood flow. Common in medical or health contexts.
Describing the mental state of being fully immersed and energized, often called 'flow state' in psychology.
Loanword from English, used in psychology and self-help to mean the flow state.
Describing the quantity of fluid passing a point per unit time, like in engineering or plumbing.
The flow of time is relentless.
I feel the flow of air.
水が流れている。
Water is flowing.
Clouds are flowing across the sky.
Pour water / flush water.
Play music (lit. let music flow).
Same word as for liquids; also used for the flow of people, traffic, or events.
The flow of people is constant.
The flow of traffic is smooth.
Specifically 'traffic flow'. More precise when talking about vehicles.
The traffic flow is bad.
Used metaphorically for the flow of time, a process, or a narrative.
Formal noun for passage or progress of time. Often used in written or technical contexts.
With the flow/passage of time.
Blood flow improves.
Electric current/flow. Technical term.
Electric current flows.
Data flow. Used in IT contexts.
Manage the flow of data.
Enter a flow state.
Colloquial phrase meaning 'to be in the zone', similar to flow state in sports or creative work.
During the game, I was completely in the zone.
Flow rate or volume of flow. Technical term.
Measure the water flow rate.
River flow (natural)
流れる is intransitive (something flows by itself). 流す is transitive (someone makes something flow). Compare: 水が流れる (water flows) vs. 水を流す (pour water / flush).
I lost track of the conversation's flow.
Good blood flow is important for health.