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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.

Related words· 6

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.

Show 2 more

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.

Don't confuse with

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.