Translation guide
How to express 'follow around' in Japanese, covering physical following, accompanying someone, and persistent pursuit.
To go after someone as they move, often persistently or without invitation.
The most direct and common way to say 'follow around'. Implies following someone persistently, often with a nuance of being a nuisance or unwanted.
My little brother followed me around all day.
The cat follows me around the house.
To tail or shadow someone, often with a sense of surveillance or secretly following. Can be used for both physical and metaphorical following.
The detective followed the suspect around.
To follow around persistently, often with a negative connotation of pestering or stalking. Used for people or even thoughts that won't leave you alone.
A strange person has been following me around.
To go with someone to various places, often to show them around or keep them company.
To pursue someone romantically or obsessively, not giving them space.
To chase after someone, often used in romantic contexts or when someone is persistently pursuing another person.
He's always following her around.
To stalk someone. A loanword from English, used for serious cases of obsessive following. Strongly negative.
He's stalking his ex-girlfriend.
ついて回る is general for following around, often by children or pets. 後をつける implies a deliberate act of tailing, like a detective. 付きまとう has a strong negative nuance of pestering or stalking.
A dog following you around is cute, but a person pestering you is scary.
Do not directly translate 'follow around' as フォローする (forō suru), which means 'to follow' in the sense of social media or understanding, not physical following.
Incorrect: I followed him around (using フォロー).
It's tough taking the kids around everywhere.