くぐる · godan verb (-ru)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | くぐる | くぐらない |
| Polite | くぐります | くぐりません |
| Past polite | くぐりました | くぐりませんでした |
| Past | くぐった | くぐらなかった |
| Te-form | くぐって | くぐらないで |
| Desire | くぐりたい | くぐりたくない |
| Potential | くぐれる | くぐれない |
| Passive | くぐられる | くぐられない |
| Causative | くぐらせる | くぐらせない |
| Causative passive | くぐらせられるalso くぐらされる | くぐらせられないalso くぐらされない |
| Volitional | くぐろう | |
| Polite volitional | くぐりましょう | |
| Imperative | くぐれ | くぐるな |
| Conditional | くぐれば | くぐらなければ |
| Tara conditional | くぐったら | くぐらなかったら |
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
go under; pass under; go through
Describes moving through a narrow or low space, such as a gate, tunnel, or under an object. The focus is on passing beneath or through an opening.
I pass under the torii gate and enter the shrine.
I went through a narrow alley and came out onto the back street.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
dive under water
Specifically for going under the surface of water. Cross-referenced with 潜る (もぐる), which is the more common word for diving or submerging. This sense is rarer and often replaced by もぐる in modern Japanese.
See also: 潜る (もぐる)
He swam underwater to the opposite shore.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
evade; slip past; get around
Used for avoiding difficulties, rules, or obstacles in a clever or sneaky way. Common in phrases like 法の網をくぐる (evade the law) or 難をくぐる (escape danger).
He skillfully slipped through the legal net and evaded taxes.
They got past the strict checks and entered the country.
godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb
survive; get through; surmount
Used for enduring or overcoming hardships, crises, or difficult periods. Often appears in expressions like 苦難をくぐる or 戦火をくぐる.
Having survived many hardships, he finally succeeded.
The testimonies of people who lived through the war are valuable.
He passed through the large gate and entered the temple grounds.
The company evaded taxes by slipping through loopholes in the law.
She has come through many hardships.
潜る (くぐる) means 'to pass under or dive through' and sounds similar to 括る (くくる), but the meanings are unrelated.
slip through; slip past; evade