滑すべる

す

べ

る

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

滑る · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	滑すべる	滑すべらない
Polite	滑すべります	滑すべりません
Past polite	滑すべりました	滑すべりませんでした
Past	滑すべった	滑すべらなかった
Te-form	滑すべって	滑すべらないで
Desire	滑すべりたい	滑すべりたくない
Potential	滑すべれる	滑すべれない
Passive	滑すべられる	滑すべられない
Causative	滑すべらせる	滑すべらせない
Causative passive	滑すべらせられるalso 滑すべらされる	滑すべらせられないalso 滑すべらされない
Volitional	滑すべろう
Polite volitional	滑すべりましょう
Imperative	滑すべれ	滑すべるな
Conditional	滑すべれば	滑すべらなければ
Tara conditional	滑すべったら	滑すべらなかったら

Pairs with滑らす

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

slide; glide; skate; ski

General smooth movement across a surface, including sports like skating and skiing.

子こ供どもたちが氷こおりの上うえを滑すべっている。
The children are sliding on the ice.
冬ふゆはよくスキー場じょうで滑すべる。
In winter I often ski at the ski resort.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

slip; skid

Losing traction or footing, often accidentally. Used for vehicles, people, or objects.

雨あめの日ひは車くるまが滑すべりやすい。
Cars slip easily on rainy days.
階かい段だんで足あしが滑すべって転ころんだ。
My foot slipped on the stairs and I fell.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

be slippery

Describes a surface or object that is slick and easy to slip on.

この床ゆかはワックスが効きいていて滑すべる。
This floor is slippery because of the wax.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb, intransitive verb

fail (exam); lose (position); be demoted

Metaphorical extension: failing a test or losing a job/rank. Often used with 試験 or 役職.

彼かれは大だい学がく入にゅう試しに滑すべってしまった。
He failed the university entrance exam.
不ふ祥しょう事じで部ぶ長ちょうの座ざを滑すべった。
He lost his position as department head due to a scandal.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

bomb (a joke); fall flat

colloquial

Colloquial; used when a joke or performance fails to get a laugh. Often written in katakana as スベる.

彼かれのギャグはいつもスベっている。
His jokes always bomb.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

slide (Go move)

usually written using kana alonego (game)

Go terminology: a move that slides along the side of a group. Usually written in katakana as スベる.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉で滑すべるto ski/skate/slide at a place
みんなでスキー場じょうで滑すべった。
We all went skiing at the ski resort.
手てが滑すべるfor one's hand to slip
手てが滑すべってコップを割わってしまった。
My hand slipped and I broke the glass.
足あしが滑すべるfor one's foot to slip
凍こおった道みちで足あしが滑すべって転ころびそうになった。
My foot slipped on the icy road and I nearly fell.
〈場ば所しょ〉は滑すべるa surface/place is slippery
雨あめの日ひはこの階かい段だんは滑すべる。
This staircase is slippery on rainy days.
試し験けんに滑すべるto fail an exam
彼かれは入にゅう試しに滑すべってしまった。
He ended up failing the entrance exam.
ギャグが滑すべるfor a joke to bomb / fall flat
彼かれのギャグが滑すべって場ばがしらけた。
His joke bombed and the room went cold.

Expressions

口くちが滑すべるmake a slip of the tongue; let something slip

Kanji

滑slippery, slide, slip
辷glide, skate, slip

Transitive / intransitive

滑る is usually intransitive, describing something losing traction (道が凍っていて滑る, 'the road is icy and slippery'), but in its colloquial 'fail' sense it can also take a direct object with を (彼は試験を滑った, 'he flunked the exam').

滑すべらす sense 2
滑らす is the transitive causative form meaning 'to let something slip', while 滑る is the intransitive verb describing the slipping itself.
滑すべらせる sense 2
滑らせる is another transitive causative form meaning 'to let something slip', paired with the intransitive 滑る.

Related words

転ころぶN3sense 2
転ぶ means to fall down, often as the result of losing one's footing, while 滑る describes the sliding or slipping motion itself, which may or may not end in a fall.
スリップN1sense 2
スリップ is a loanword used mainly for a vehicle skidding, while 滑る is the native verb covering a much wider range of sliding and slipping situations.
落おちるN4sense 4
落ちる is the standard, neutral verb for failing an exam, while 滑る is a more colloquial slang term used mostly by students.
滑かっ走そう
滑る is the general, everyday verb for sliding or slipping (often accidental), while 滑走 is a noun describing controlled, continuous gliding motion in sports or aviation.
スライドN2
滑る describes the physical sensation of slipping or sliding, while スライドする is often used more abstractly for a smooth sliding motion or mechanism.

Opposites

受うかるN3sense 4
受かる means to pass an exam, the direct opposite of 滑る's slangy sense of failing an exam.

Don't confuse with

滑なめらかN1
滑る is a verb meaning 'to slip/slide,' while 滑らか (from the same kanji root) is an adjective meaning 'smooth'; learners sometimes conflate the two.
ずれるN3
滑る describes the physical act of sliding on a surface, while ずれる describes the resulting state of being out of position.

Word family· 27

滑すべり台だい
playground slide · ship launching platform; slipway; sliding ways
滑すべり
sliding; slipping · slide (Go term)
滑すべり出だし
start; beginning; initial stage
滑すべり込こみ
sliding; slide · just in time; at the last moment; barely making it
横よこ滑すべり
sideslip; skid; sliding sideways · sideways move; lateral transfer · sideslipping (skiing)

Show 13 more

滑すべり落おちる
slip off; slide down and fall
滑すべり降おりる
slide down; slip down
滑すべり込こむ
slide into; slip into
上うわ滑すべり
superficial; shallow · frivolous; careless; thoughtless · sliding along a surface; slipperiness
初はつ滑すべり
first ski of the season; first ski run
氷こおり滑すべり
ice skating
滑すべり尺じゃく
slide rule
滑すべり棒ぼう
fireman's pole; sliding pole · slide guide; slide bar
滑すべり目め
slip stitch
滑すべり車ぐるま
sash roller
そりすべり
sledding; sledging
スベリヒユ
common purslane
滑すべり入いる
slide into; slip into

See all 27 in Explore →

Written forms

滑すべるUsage66%
Standard kanji spelling for most senses.
すべるUsage32%
辷すべるUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should recognize it but use 滑る instead.
スベるUsage1%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for the colloquial 'bomb a joke' sense and the Go term.

Etymology

Native Japanese verb. The kanji 滑 carries the meaning 'slippery, slide'. The rare form 辷 is a kokuji created in Japan with the same meaning.

滑すべる

す

べ

る

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

滑る · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	滑すべる	滑すべらない
Polite	滑すべります	滑すべりません
Past polite	滑すべりました	滑すべりませんでした
Past	滑すべった	滑すべらなかった
Te-form	滑すべって	滑すべらないで
Desire	滑すべりたい	滑すべりたくない
Potential	滑すべれる	滑すべれない
Passive	滑すべられる	滑すべられない
Causative	滑すべらせる	滑すべらせない
Causative passive	滑すべらせられるalso 滑すべらされる	滑すべらせられないalso 滑すべらされない
Volitional	滑すべろう
Polite volitional	滑すべりましょう
Imperative	滑すべれ	滑すべるな
Conditional	滑すべれば	滑すべらなければ
Tara conditional	滑すべったら	滑すべらなかったら

Pairs with滑らす

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

slide; glide; skate; ski

General smooth movement across a surface, including sports like skating and skiing.

子こ供どもたちが氷こおりの上うえを滑すべっている。
The children are sliding on the ice.
冬ふゆはよくスキー場じょうで滑すべる。
In winter I often ski at the ski resort.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

slip; skid

Losing traction or footing, often accidentally. Used for vehicles, people, or objects.

雨あめの日ひは車くるまが滑すべりやすい。
Cars slip easily on rainy days.
階かい段だんで足あしが滑すべって転ころんだ。
My foot slipped on the stairs and I fell.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

be slippery

Describes a surface or object that is slick and easy to slip on.

この床ゆかはワックスが効きいていて滑すべる。
This floor is slippery because of the wax.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb, intransitive verb

fail (exam); lose (position); be demoted

Metaphorical extension: failing a test or losing a job/rank. Often used with 試験 or 役職.

彼かれは大だい学がく入にゅう試しに滑すべってしまった。
He failed the university entrance exam.
不ふ祥しょう事じで部ぶ長ちょうの座ざを滑すべった。
He lost his position as department head due to a scandal.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

bomb (a joke); fall flat

colloquial

Colloquial; used when a joke or performance fails to get a laugh. Often written in katakana as スベる.

彼かれのギャグはいつもスベっている。
His jokes always bomb.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

slide (Go move)

usually written using kana alonego (game)

Go terminology: a move that slides along the side of a group. Usually written in katakana as スベる.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉で滑すべるto ski/skate/slide at a place
みんなでスキー場じょうで滑すべった。
We all went skiing at the ski resort.
手てが滑すべるfor one's hand to slip
手てが滑すべってコップを割わってしまった。
My hand slipped and I broke the glass.
足あしが滑すべるfor one's foot to slip
凍こおった道みちで足あしが滑すべって転ころびそうになった。
My foot slipped on the icy road and I nearly fell.
〈場ば所しょ〉は滑すべるa surface/place is slippery
雨あめの日ひはこの階かい段だんは滑すべる。
This staircase is slippery on rainy days.
試し験けんに滑すべるto fail an exam
彼かれは入にゅう試しに滑すべってしまった。
He ended up failing the entrance exam.
ギャグが滑すべるfor a joke to bomb / fall flat
彼かれのギャグが滑すべって場ばがしらけた。
His joke bombed and the room went cold.

Expressions

口くちが滑すべるmake a slip of the tongue; let something slip

Kanji

滑slippery, slide, slip
辷glide, skate, slip

Transitive / intransitive

滑すべらす sense 2
滑らす is the transitive causative form meaning 'to let something slip', while 滑る is the intransitive verb describing the slipping itself.
滑すべらせる sense 2
滑らせる is another transitive causative form meaning 'to let something slip', paired with the intransitive 滑る.

Related words

転ころぶN3sense 2
転ぶ means to fall down, often as the result of losing one's footing, while 滑る describes the sliding or slipping motion itself, which may or may not end in a fall.
スリップN1sense 2
スリップ is a loanword used mainly for a vehicle skidding, while 滑る is the native verb covering a much wider range of sliding and slipping situations.
落おちるN4sense 4
落ちる is the standard, neutral verb for failing an exam, while 滑る is a more colloquial slang term used mostly by students.
滑かっ走そう
滑る is the general, everyday verb for sliding or slipping (often accidental), while 滑走 is a noun describing controlled, continuous gliding motion in sports or aviation.
スライドN2
滑る describes the physical sensation of slipping or sliding, while スライドする is often used more abstractly for a smooth sliding motion or mechanism.

Opposites

受うかるN3sense 4
受かる means to pass an exam, the direct opposite of 滑る's slangy sense of failing an exam.

Don't confuse with

滑なめらかN1
滑る is a verb meaning 'to slip/slide,' while 滑らか (from the same kanji root) is an adjective meaning 'smooth'; learners sometimes conflate the two.
ずれるN3
滑る describes the physical act of sliding on a surface, while ずれる describes the resulting state of being out of position.

Word family· 27

滑すべり台だい
playground slide · ship launching platform; slipway; sliding ways
滑すべり
sliding; slipping · slide (Go term)
滑すべり出だし
start; beginning; initial stage
滑すべり込こみ
sliding; slide · just in time; at the last moment; barely making it
横よこ滑すべり
sideslip; skid; sliding sideways · sideways move; lateral transfer · sideslipping (skiing)

Show 13 more

滑すべり落おちる
slip off; slide down and fall
滑すべり降おりる
slide down; slip down
滑すべり込こむ
slide into; slip into
上うわ滑すべり
superficial; shallow · frivolous; careless; thoughtless · sliding along a surface; slipperiness
初はつ滑すべり
first ski of the season; first ski run
氷こおり滑すべり
ice skating
滑すべり尺じゃく
slide rule
滑すべり棒ぼう
fireman's pole; sliding pole · slide guide; slide bar
滑すべり目め
slip stitch
滑すべり車ぐるま
sash roller
そりすべり
sledding; sledging
スベリヒユ
common purslane
滑すべり入いる
slide into; slip into

See all 27 in Explore →

Written forms

滑すべるUsage66%
Standard kanji spelling for most senses.
すべるUsage32%
辷すべるUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should recognize it but use 滑る instead.
スベるUsage1%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common for the colloquial 'bomb a joke' sense and the Go term.

Etymology

Native Japanese verb. The kanji 滑 carries the meaning 'slippery, slide'. The rare form 辷 is a kokuji created in Japan with the same meaning.