辿たどる

た

ど

る

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

辿る · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	辿たどる	辿たどらない
Polite	辿たどります	辿たどりません
Past polite	辿たどりました	辿たどりませんでした
Past	辿たどった	辿たどらなかった
Te-form	辿たどって	辿たどらないで
Desire	辿たどりたい	辿たどりたくない
Potential	辿たどれる	辿たどれない
Passive	辿たどられる	辿たどられない
Causative	辿たどらせる	辿たどらせない
Causative passive	辿たどらせられるalso 辿たどらされる	辿たどらせられないalso 辿たどらされない
Volitional	辿たどろう
Polite volitional	辿たどりましょう
Imperative	辿たどれ	辿たどるな
Conditional	辿たどれば	辿たどらなければ
Tara conditional	辿たどったら	辿たどらなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

follow (a road, path); trace (a route)

usually written using kana alone

Used for physically following a road, path, or route, often with a sense of moving along it step by step.

地ち図ずを頼たよりに山やま道みちをたどった。
I followed the mountain path relying on the map.
川かわの流ながれをたどって下か流りゅうへ向むかった。
I traced the river's flow and headed downstream.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

follow (a clue, scent, tracks); trace (history, family tree); retrace (memory); search; go over

usually written using kana alone

Abstract use: following clues, tracks, or a sequence of events; tracing back history, memories, or a family line; also used for searching or going over something step by step.

警けい察さつはわずかな手てがかりをたどって犯はん人にんを特とく定ていした。
The police traced the few clues and identified the culprit.
彼かれは記き憶おくをたどって、事じ件けんのあった日ひの行こう動どうを説せつ明めいした。
He retraced his memory and explained his actions on the day of the incident.
家か系けい図ずをたどると、先せん祖ぞは武ぶ士しだったことがわかった。
Tracing the family tree revealed that the ancestors were samurai.

godan verb (-ru), transitive verb

head towards (a situation); take (a course); pursue (a path); meet (a fate)

usually written using kana alone

Used for a situation or life course heading in a certain direction, often with a nuance of inevitability or a predetermined path. Common with words like 運命 (fate) or 破滅 (ruin).

このままでは会かい社しゃは破は滅めつの道みちをたどるだろう。
At this rate, the company will head down the path to ruin.
彼かれは苦く労ろうの連れん続ぞくという人じん生せいをたどってきた。
He has pursued a life of continuous hardship.

See all 139 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉をたどるto follow (a road or path)
山やま道みちをたどって頂ちょう上じょうに着ついた。
I followed the mountain trail and reached the summit.
記き憶おくをたどるto retrace one's memory
記き憶おくをたどって昔むかしの出で来き事ごとを思おもい出だした。
I retraced my memory and recalled things from the past.
〈事こと〉の歴れき史しをたどるto trace the history of something
この村むらの歴れき史しをたどると、古こ代だいまでさかのぼる。
If you trace this village's history, it goes back to ancient times.
手てがかりをたどるto follow a clue or lead
刑けい事じは手てがかりをたどって犯はん人にんを見みつけた。
The detective followed the clues and found the culprit.
運うん命めいをたどるto meet a certain fate
彼かれはやがて悲かなしい運うん命めいをたどることになった。
He would eventually meet a sad fate.

Expressions

元もとを辿たどるtrace back to the origin

Kanji

辿follow (road), pursue

Related words· 6

追おうN3sense 1
追う implies actively chasing or pursuing a target, while 辿る means following a path or trace step by step without that active pursuit sense.
沿そうN2sense 1
沿う means to run alongside or follow the line of something like a river or road, whereas 辿る adds a nuance of tracing or making one's way along it step by step.
遡さかのぼるN2sense 2
遡る means to go back in time or trace something to its origin, while 辿る is broader and covers tracing paths, clues, or even future courses of fate.
探さぐるN2sense 2
探る means to search or probe for something unknown, while 辿る specifically follows an existing trail, clue, or sequence to reach an endpoint.

Show 2 more

伝つたうN1
辿る means to trace or follow a route (and can be used metaphorically, e.g. tracing memories), whereas 伝う is used concretely for moving along a physical surface like a wall, rope, or riverbank.
歩あゆむN1
辿る emphasizes tracing or following a path (sometimes with difficulty), while 歩む emphasizes the ongoing act of proceeding along that path, as in a life or career.

Don't confuse with

辿たどり着つくN1
辿る means to follow or trace a path/route without necessarily arriving, while 辿り着く adds the sense of finally reaching the destination.

Written forms

辿たどるUsage25%
Kanji form; usually written in kana.
たどるUsage75%
Kana spelling is the usual choice in modern Japanese.

Etymology

The exact derivation is uncertain. The kanji 辿 is a kokuji (Japanese-made kanji) combining ⻌ (movement) and 山 (mountain), suggesting the idea of following a mountain path. The reading たどる is native Japanese.