沿う (そう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

沿そう

そ

う

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

沿う · godan verb (-u)

Meanings

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

Describes something physically extending along a line, edge, or path, such as a road, river, or fence.

従したがうN3
従う implies obeying or complying with orders, rules, or people, while 沿う simply means aligning with a line, policy, or expectation without a strong sense of obedience.
基もとづくN3sense 2
基づく means to be based on or grounded in something (like a law or fact), whereas 沿う means to follow along a guideline without implying it is the causal foundation.
応こたえるN2sense 3
応える means to actively respond to expectations or feelings, while 沿う means to simply align with or match them, with less sense of active effort.
伝つたうN1
沿う is broader and covers following abstract things like rules or a coastline, while 伝う specifically emphasizes physically moving along a surface or edge such as a wall or cliff.

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辿たどるN1
沿う means to run alongside or follow the line of something like a river or road, whereas 辿る adds a nuance of tracing or making one's way along it step by step.
即そくするN1
沿う is used for following along a policy, plan, or wish (e.g. 方針に沿う), while 即する is used for conforming closely to concrete facts or actual conditions.

反はんするN1sense 2
反する means to go against or contradict a rule or policy, the opposite of 沿う, which means to follow or align with it.

添そうN1sense 3
添う shares the reading そう and can also mean to meet someone's wishes, but it more commonly means to accompany or stay close to someone (as in marriage or companionship), unlike 沿う, which is about physically or figuratively following a line or guideline.
沿ぞいN2
沿い is a noun-forming suffix meaning 'along' (川沿い), while 沿う is the verb meaning 'to run along' or 'to follow' and is often confused because of the shared kanji and meaning.

沿そうUsage5%
Standard kanji spelling for physical and figurative 'along' meanings.
そうUsage95%
ソウUsage0%
添そう
Used for meeting wishes or expectations; this spelling for sense 3.

The kanji 沿 carries the meaning 'run alongside', and the verb 沿う inherits this spatial sense, later extended to figurative alignment.