転ころぶ

godan verb (-bu), intransitive verb

fall down; fall over; trip

Describes a person or object losing balance and falling to the ground. Common in everyday situations.

• 雨あめの日ひは道みちが滑すべって転ころびやすい。

  On rainy days, the roads are slippery and it's easy to fall.

• 子こ供どもが石いしにつまずいて転ころんだ。

  The child tripped on a stone and fell.

godan verb (-bu), intransitive verb

turn out; end up; play out

Only with reading ころぶ

Used in the set phrase どう転んでも (no matter how things turn out) to express that the outcome is certain or inevitable. Limited to this pattern.

• どう転ころんでも、この試し合あいはうちのチームが勝かつだろう。

  No matter how it plays out, our team will probably win this match.

godan verb (-bu), intransitive verb

abandon Christianity; apostatize

Only with reading ころぶ

Historical term from early Japanese Christianity, referring to the act of renouncing the faith, often under persecution, and sometimes converting to Buddhism.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だい初しょ期き、多おおくのキリシタンが転ころぶことを強しいられた。

  In the early Edo period, many Christians were forced to apostatize.

godan verb (-bu), intransitive verb

roll; tumble

Describes rolling or tumbling movement, similar to 転がる. Often used for objects or people rolling over.

See also: 転がる

• ボールが坂さかを転ころんでいった。

  The ball rolled down the hill.

godan verb (-bu), intransitive verb

prostitute in secret (archaic, geisha)

Archaic term for a geisha engaging in clandestine prostitution. Not used in modern Japanese.

• 昔むかしの遊ゆう里りでは、芸げい者しゃが密ひそかに転ころぶこともあったという。

  In the old pleasure quarters, it is said that geisha sometimes secretly prostituted themselves.