Translation guide
How to express 'slide down' in Japanese, covering physical downward sliding, slipping, gliding, and metaphorical declines.
To move downward smoothly along a surface, often for fun or due to gravity.
The most natural and common way to say 'slide down' when referring to sliding down a slope, slide, or hill, often for enjoyment.
The children slid down the hill.
I like sliding down the slide.
General verb for 'to slide' or 'to slip'. Can be used for sliding down when the downward direction is clear from context, but less specific than 滑り降りる.
We slid down the slope for fun.
Emphasizes falling or slipping down, often unintentionally or with a sense of losing control.
I almost slid down off the roof.
To slide down while seated on something like a sled, cardboard, or just one's bottom.
To lose footing and slide downward, often on a slippery surface.
To move downward in a controlled, smooth, often mechanical manner.
To move a character downward quickly, often by sliding.
To decrease in value, quality, or position, like 'slide down the rankings'.
滑り降りる (suberioriru) is for intentional, controlled sliding down, like on a slide or sled. 滑り落ちる (suberiochiru) is for accidental or uncontrolled sliding down, like slipping off a roof. Use 滑り降りる for fun activities and 滑り落ちる for mishaps.
slide down a slide
slide down a cliff
While 滑る (suberu) means 'to slide', it often implies slipping or gliding on a surface, not necessarily downward. For downward sliding, 滑り降りる or 滑り落ちる are clearer. Using 滑る alone might be ambiguous.
The children played sliding down the snowy hill on their bottoms.
彼は疲れて壁をずり落ちた。
Exhausted, he slid down the wall.