動く
ugoku[ɯ̟ɡo̞kɯ̟]
The Japanese verb for 'to move' (to change place or posture) is 動く (ugoku).
動く is an intransitive verb used when something moves on its own or changes its position or posture.
Meaning: (intransitive) to change place or posture, to go (verb)
Which one should you use?
動く is an intransitive verb, meaning something moves by itself. In contrast, 動かす is a transitive verb used when you are moving something else.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The negative form of 動く is 動かない (does not move), and the past tense is 動いた (moved). The noun form of the verb is 動き, which means movement or motion.
How do you pronounce it?
ugoku
Did you know?
- The verb 動く is used to describe a machine or a clock that is functioning. If a device is 'working', a Japanese speaker says it is 'moving'.
- In Japanese, 動く can describe a person being emotionally moved or touched. It describes the internal 'movement' of the heart in response to a feeling.
- The word 動く may share a distant ancestral root with English words like 'wriggle' and 'wiggle'. Both likely evolved from ancient sounds used to describe the act of creeping or crawling.
Examples in context
- 動くな撃つぞ。Don't move, or I'll shoot you.This sentence uses 動く to issue a command not to move.Tatoeba #123788 by small_snow, translation #280207 by CK
- ここから動くな。Don't move from here.This sentence uses 動く to tell someone not to move from a specific location.Tatoeba #650692 by arihato, translation #631535 by lorx
- トムに動くなと言った。I told Tom to not to move.This sentence uses 動く to report a command given to someone else.Tatoeba #12962649 by Inu, translation #10089783 by CK
- 彼（かれ）は新（あたら）しい家（いえ）に引越（ひっこ）すことにしました。He decided to move to a new house.
- 彼女（かのじょ）は会社（かいしゃ）で異動（いどう）する予（よ）定（てい）です。She is scheduled to transfer to a different department within the company.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are looking at a broken toy robot.
- 健太 Kentaこのロボット、全然動かないね。Kono robotto, zenzen ugokanai ne.This robot won't move at all, will it?
- 結衣 Yui電池を替えたら動くかもよ。Denchi o kaetara ugoku kamo yo.It might move if you change the batteries.
- 健太 Kentaあ、今ちょっと動いた！A, ima chotto ugokita!Oh, it just moved a little!
- 結衣 Yuiよかったね、健太。Yokatta ne, Kenta.That's great, Kenta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “move” translations and entries 動く, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 動く, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
