たなびく

た

な

び

く

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

trail; hang; drift; linger

usually written using kana alone

Describes smoke, clouds, mist, or haze stretching out horizontally or hanging in the air. Also used poetically for hair flowing in the wind or a lingering feeling.

山やまのふもとに霧きりがたなびいていた。
Mist was hanging over the foot of the mountain.

煙けむりが風かぜにたなびいて、遠とおくまで流ながれていった。

The smoke trailed in the wind and drifted far away.

彼かの女じょの長ながい髪かみが風かぜにたなびいていた。

Her long hair was flowing in the wind.

Written forms

たなびくUsage91%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 棚引く is rare and mainly literary.
棚たな引びくUsage9%
Rare kanji spelling; 棚 means 'shelf' but here is used phonetically (ateji).

Kanji

棚shelf, ledge, rack
引pull, tug, jerk

Similar words

漂ただよう
漂う means 'to drift' or 'to float' in a more general sense (smells, sounds, atmosphere), while たなびく specifically describes something stretching out horizontally like a ribbon or band.
かかる
かかる means 'to hang' or 'to be suspended' (e.g., a picture on a wall), whereas たなびく implies a long, trailing shape in the air.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The kanji 棚 (shelf) is used phonetically (ateji) and does not contribute to the meaning. The verb likely derives from an old mimetic or native root describing something stretching out.