潜もぐる

also: むぐる

も

ぐ

る

JLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

潜る · godan verb (-ru)

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

dive; go underwater

Physical act of submerging oneself in water, such as swimming underwater or diving into a pool.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

get under; burrow into; snuggle under

Moving oneself into a confined or covered space: under a blanket, into a hole, under a desk, etc. Often implies hiding or seeking shelter.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

go underground; hide oneself

Deliberately concealing one's activities or whereabouts, especially from authorities. Often used in political or criminal contexts.

〈場ば所しょ〉に潜もぐるto dive into (a body of water)
海うみに潜もぐってサンゴを見みた。
I dove into the sea and looked at the coral.
〈物もの〉の下したに潜もぐるto get under something (a desk, blanket, etc.)
地じ震しんのとき机つくえの下したに潜もぐった。
I got under the desk when the earthquake happened.

潜せん水すいN1sense 1
潜水する is the formal, technical term for diving underwater (e.g. with scuba gear), while 潜る is the everyday word for the same action.
潜ひそむN1sense 3
潜む describes lying hidden in a place without necessarily moving there, while 潜る emphasizes the act of going into hiding or a covered space.
隠かくれるN4sense 2
隠れる is the general verb for hiding oneself anywhere, while 潜る specifically implies moving under or into a confined space to hide.
くぐるN1
もぐる is the standard verb for diving or submerging underwater, while くぐる (sense 2) is a rarer literary way to describe passing beneath the water's surface.
飛とび込こむN3
潜る focuses on going underwater or hiding beneath something, whereas 飛び込む emphasizes the initial leap into the water or place, often from above.

浮うくN3sense 1
浮く means to float on the surface, the opposite of 潜る's meaning of diving underwater.
現あらわれるN3sense 3
現れる means to appear or come out into the open, the opposite of 潜る's sense of going underground or hiding.

くぐるN1
潜る read もぐる means to dive or go underwater/hide, while the same kanji read くぐる means to pass under or through something like a gate or tunnel.
もぐり
潜る is the verb meaning 'to dive/submerge,' while 潜り is the related noun referring to diving, an unlicensed person, or an outsider.
泳およぐN5
潜る means to dive or go underwater, while 泳ぐ refers to swimming generally on or below the surface, so learners may mix up the two when describing water activities.

潜るUsage70%
- もぐる
  Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
- むぐる
  out-dated reading
  Obsolete reading; included for recognition of older texts.
もぐるUsage30%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing, especially when the physical diving nuance is not emphasized.
むぐる
out-dated reading

A native Japanese verb of uncertain origin. 潜る is a semantic spelling based on the character’s meaning “submerge” or “hide.”