泳ぐ
泳ぐ · godan verb (-gu)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 泳ぐ | 泳がない |
| Polite | 泳ぎます | 泳ぎません |
| Past polite | 泳ぎました | 泳ぎませんでした |
| Past | 泳いだ | 泳がなかった |
| Te-form | 泳いで | 泳がないで |
| Desire | 泳ぎたい | 泳ぎたくない |
| Potential | 泳げる | 泳げない |
| Passive | 泳がれる | 泳がれない |
| Causative | 泳がせる | 泳がせない |
| Causative passive | 泳がせられるalso 泳がされる | 泳がせられないalso 泳がされない |
| Volitional | 泳ごう | |
| Polite volitional | 泳ぎましょう | |
| Imperative | 泳げ | 泳ぐな |
| Conditional | 泳げば | 泳がなければ |
| Tara conditional | 泳いだら | 泳がなかったら |
Meanings
godan verb (-gu), intransitive verb
swim
Basic intransitive verb for swimming in water.
In summer I swim in the pool every day.
godan verb (-gu), intransitive verb
struggle through a crowd; push one's way
Metaphorical use: moving through a dense crowd with difficulty, like swimming.
I pushed my way forward through the crowd as if swimming.
godan verb (-gu), intransitive verb
get along in life; make one's way through the world
Figurative: navigating life's difficulties; often used with 世の中 or 世間.
He is skillfully making his way through the world.
godan verb (-gu), intransitive verb
Rare, somewhat dated usage for staggering or swaying unsteadily.
He is drunk and his legs are tottering.
Usage patterns
- 〈場所〉で泳ぐto swim in/at a place
I swim in the pool every day.
- 世の中を泳ぐto make one's way through life; to get by in the world
He skillfully navigates his way through life.
- 〈場所〉を泳いで渡るto swim across a place
He swam across the river.