Translation guide
The English phrase "going around" can refer to physical movement in a circular path, visiting multiple places, spreading (of news, illness), or being sufficient for a group. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
Describing physical movement that goes around something, such as walking around a building, driving around an obstacle, or taking a detour.
Intransitive verb meaning to go around, revolve, or rotate. Used for circular movement or visiting multiple places in a circuit.
公園を回る。
I go around the park.
地球は太陽の周りを回る。
The earth goes around the sun.
Formal verb meaning to detour or go around an obstacle. Often used for traffic or planned routes.
工事のため迂回してください。
Please go around due to construction.
To take a long way around, a detour. Implies the route is longer than necessary.
今日は遠回りして帰ろう。
Let's go around the long way home today.
Going from place to place, such as visiting friends, making deliveries, or checking on things.
Same verb as above, but used for visiting multiple locations in sequence. Often used with places as objects marked by を.
友達の家を回る。
I go around to friends' houses.
営業で取引先を回る。
I go around to clients for business.
To patrol, make rounds, or go on a circuit. Used for security guards, police, or regular inspection routes.
警備員が建物を巡回している。
The security guard is going around the building.
To go bar-hopping or pub-crawling. Literally 'drink-walk'. Used for going around multiple drinking establishments.
Something being passed around among people, such as a cold going around, a rumor spreading, or a document circulating.
To be prevalent, going around (especially illness or fashion). Commonly used for colds and flu.
今、風邪が流行っている。
A cold is going around now.
Intransitive verb meaning to spread, circulate (news, rumors, ideas).
To circulate a document or notice among a group. Often used in office or neighborhood contexts.
書類を回覧してください。
Please pass the document around.
Something being sufficient in quantity to serve all people in a group, e.g., "Is there enough food to go around?"
To be distributed to everyone, to go around sufficiently. Literally 'reach all members'.
ケーキは全員に行き渡りましたか？
Was there enough cake to go around?
To be enough, sufficient. Can be used with みんなに (for everyone) to express 'enough to go around'.
みんなに足りるだけの食べ物がありますか？
Is there enough food to go around?
The English phrase 'going around' is often used idiomatically. For example, 'What goes around comes around' is a proverb with no direct equivalent; a natural Japanese version might be 因果応報 (inga ouhou) or 自業自得 (jigou jitoku). Always consider the intended meaning before translating.
週末はよく飲み歩く。
I often go around drinking on weekends.
その噂が学校中に広まった。
That rumor went around the whole school.