ichidan verb, transitive verb
let swim; make swim; release into water
Literal causative of 泳ぐ: to cause someone or something to swim, or to release fish into water.
子供をプールで泳がせる。
I let the children swim in the pool.
釣った魚を川に泳がせて逃がした。
I released the caught fish into the river and let it swim away.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
make stumble; make stagger; make lurch
Used when someone is pushed or caused to stagger forward, often in a physical struggle or accident.
酔っ払いを押して、体を泳がせた。
I pushed the drunk and made him stagger.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
let roam freely; leave at large; allow to operate under surveillance
Figurative use: to let a suspect or person of interest move freely while keeping them under observation, often in police or intelligence contexts.
警察は容疑者をしばらく泳がせることにした。
The police decided to let the suspect roam freely for a while.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
wave about; move through the air
Describes moving one's arms or something else loosely through the air, as if swimming.
彼は両腕を空中に泳がせながら踊った。
He danced while waving both arms in the air.