漂う
tadayou
The Japanese phrase for "to drift" is 漂う (tadayou).
漂う is used to describe physical objects being carried slowly by currents of air or water. It is also used for abstract concepts, such as when a scent or a certain atmosphere drifts through a space. Note that if you are referring specifically to the automotive act of "doing drifting," the katakana phrase ドリフトする is used instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 漂う is 漂った, meaning "drifted." The negative form is 漂わない, meaning "does not drift."
How do you pronounce it?
tadayou
Did you know?
- While 漂う is used for drifting scents, the Japanese have a specific concept called kūki o yomu, or 'reading the air', to describe sensing the atmospheric drift of a social situation.
- The word 漂う is so ancient that it appears in the 'Kojiki', a collection of Japanese myths and legends compiled in the early 8th century.
- In Japanese literature, if a person is described as 漂う, it might imply they are 'drifting' through life without a sense of purpose or a home, rather than physically floating.
Examples in context
- 私はドリフトするのが好きです。I enjoy drifting.
- 香りが漂うA scent drifts/wafts
- 雲が空を漂う。kumo ga sora o tadayou.Clouds drift across the sky.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 漂う, CC BY-SA 4.0.
