godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
Used intransitively for something floating or being carried along on water, in the air, or in another medium without fixed direction.
流木が海面に漂っていた。
Driftwood was floating on the surface of the sea.
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
waft;
Common with smells, smoke, mist, and similar things that spread through the air and remain perceptible.
廊下にコーヒーの香りが漂っていた。
The smell of coffee was wafting through the hallway.
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
be in the air; pervade
Figurative use for a mood, feeling, tension, elegance, or other atmosphere that seems to fill a place or situation.
会場には緊張した空気が漂っていた。
A tense atmosphere hung over the venue.
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
wander; drift around aimlessly
Figurative extension for a person moving about without a clear destination or settled place; often has a slightly literary or descriptive feel compared with さまよう.
彼はあてもなく街を漂っていた。
He was wandering aimlessly through the city.
godan verb (-u), intransitive verb
be unsteady; falter or flinch; live precariously
Archaic uses. These include being physically or socially unstable, faltering or flinching, and living in unreliable circumstances; modern Japanese would normally use other expressions such as 不安定である, ひるむ, or 不安な生活を送る.
古語では、「漂う」が足元や境遇の不安定さを表すことがある。
In older language, 漂う can express instability in one's footing or circumstances.
古い用法の「漂う」には、ひるむ、たじろぐという意味もある。
In an older use, 漂う can also mean to flinch or falter.