従う · godan verb (-u)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 従う | 従わない |
| Polite | 従います | 従いません |
| Past polite | 従いました | 従いませんでした |
| Past | 従った | 従わなかった |
| Te-form | 従って | 従わないで |
| Desire | 従いたい | 従いたくない |
| Potential | 従える | 従えない |
| Passive | 従われる | 従われない |
| Causative | 従わせる | 従わせない |
| Causative passive | 従わせられるalso 従わされる | 従わせられないalso 従わされない |
| Volitional | 従おう | |
| Polite volitional | 従いましょう | |
| Imperative | 従え | 従うな |
| Conditional | 従えば | 従わなければ |
| Tara conditional | 従ったら | 従わなかったら |
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
obey; abide by; follow; conform to
Used for complying with rules, laws, orders, customs, or expectations. Often takes に.
交通ルールに従って運転してください。
Please drive following the traffic rules.
He obeyed his boss's instructions.
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
Used for physically following a person or going along with someone. Often takes に.
The dog is walking following its owner.
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
Used for following a path, river, sign, or similar guide. Often takes に.
If you walk following the river, you'll reach the station.
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
Used for serving in a role or engaging in work, often in set phrases like 仕事に従う. Somewhat formal.
He has been engaged in educational work for many years.
He proceeded with the work following his boss's instructions.
The children walked along following behind their teacher.
Please proceed by following the arrows.
He has been engaged in medical work for many years.
The soldiers obeyed their commanding officer's orders.
順応する means to adapt to circumstances or an environment, whereas 従う specifically means to comply with a rule, order, or person.
付き従う adds a nuance of loyally accompanying or attending someone, while 従う is the plainer word for going along with a person.
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.
従う is a general, everyday verb for following or obeying, while 準拠 is a formal noun/suru-verb used for conforming to established standards or rules.
従う is a broad verb for obeying orders, rules, or guidance in general, while 則る is more formal and specific to conforming to an established rule, precedent, or model.
従う is the standard modern verb for obeying or following orders, while 赴く's obeying sense is archaic and rarely used today.
従う means to actively follow or obey rules or orders, while 靡く implies passively yielding or being swayed by pressure or influence.
従う means to obey or comply with rules, orders, or a person's will, whereas ついて行く is about physically following or keeping pace with someone.
従う is a general verb meaning to follow or obey, used in everyday and abstract contexts alike, whereas 順守 specifically denotes formal adherence to laws or regulations.
従う means to comply with rules or authority in a broad sense, while 聞く (in this sense) is about heeding spoken advice or orders.
従う is a general verb meaning to follow or obey rules, orders, or advice, whereas 踏襲 specifically refers to following an established precedent or policy, often in formal contexts.
従う means to follow or obey, often implying a hierarchical relationship, whereas 即する simply means aligning with a standard or fact without any sense of obedience.
従う is the verb meaning 'to obey/follow', whereas 従順 is the na-adjective describing the quality of being obedient.
従う is a general, everyday word for obeying or following rules, while 準ずる is more formal and specifically implies acting in correspondence with a standard or precedent.
従う means to obey or follow rules and orders, whereas 応じる implies a more voluntary response to a request or condition.
従う implies obeying or complying with someone's lead, while 付いてくる simply means physically tagging along without that nuance of obedience.
従う means to obey or comply with rules or orders, while 追う in this sense means to follow along a sequence or trend rather than to obey.
従う means 'to obey' a command or person directly, whereas 準じる means to conform to a standard or model rather than obey an order.
逆らう means to defy or go against someone's wishes or a rule, the opposite of obeying as in 従う.
反抗する means to rebel or resist authority, contrasting with 従う's meaning of obeying or complying.
従う means to obey or follow someone's orders, the direct opposite of 歯向かう, which means to defy or rise against them.
従う means to obey or comply, the direct opposite of 反する in the sense of disobeying orders or authority.
従う means to follow or obey someone, the opposite role from 率いる, which means to lead or command others.
従う means to obey or comply with someone, the opposite of 楯突く, which means to defy or talk back to them.
従順 is an adjective describing an obedient, docile personality, whereas 従う is the verb describing the act of obeying or following.
従う means to simply obey or follow instructions or authority without any implied emotion, whereas 慕う means to follow someone out of genuine respect or affection.
従う means to obey or follow a rule or person, while 伴う means to accompany or occur together with something; the kanji and general 'go along with' feel can make learners mix them up.
follow; accompany · serve; work under; obey
Rarely used kanji form; may appear in older texts.
Rarely used kanji form; may appear in older texts.
Search-only kyūjitai form.
Search-only kyūjitai form.
従う means to obey or follow, the direct opposite of 背く, which means to disobey or go against something.