Word
転ぶ
Meaning in Englishfall down, tumble
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Sentence
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Word context
What it means
転ぶ means to lose balance and end up on the ground, typically due to slipping or tripping; it describes a physical topple from an upright position.
Main meanings
- Physical fall: to lose balance and end up on the ground
- Stumble or trip while walking or running
- Figurative: to take a turn or change direction in a plan or story
How to use it
Used in casual and everyday speech to describe an accidental loss of balance that ends with the person or animal on the ground; in formal contexts, use 転びます; common in scenarios involving slipping on wet or uneven surfaces or tripping over obstacles; subject typically marked with が or は in simple sentences.
Variants and close terms
- 転倒する (てんとうする, tentou suru) fall down, collapse
- つまずく (つまずく, tsumazuku) to stumble
- ひっくり返る (ひっくりかえる, hikkurikaeru) to flip over
- ころぶ (ころぶ, korobu) kana form, same meaning
Composition
- 転: turn, rotate; ぶ: okurigana indicating the verb ending
Word class
Verb (五段動詞, godan)
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