くぐる

• Reading: くぐる
• Romaji: kuguru
• Pronunciation: /kɯ.ɡɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To pass through; to go under; to duck through; to dive under. Describes movement through a low, narrow, or enclosing space.

A Group 1 (godan) verb with literal and figurative uses. Literally: bending or ducking to pass under a gate, rope, or wave. Figuratively: 法の目をくぐる means to slip through legal loopholes, implying evading restrictions through cunning. Also written 潜る (particularly for the underwater sense). A productive verb that appears in compound forms like くぐり抜ける.

Examples

1. 鳥居をくぐって境内に入った。 I passed under the torii gate and entered the shrine grounds.
2. 子どもたちが波をくぐりながら遊んでいる。 The children are playing, ducking through the waves.
3. 規制の網をくぐるような行為は許されない。 Conduct that amounts to slipping through the net of regulations cannot be permitted.

Usage Guide

Context: movement, shrines, swimming, law

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Of Old Japanese origin, related to 潜る (moguru, to submerge). The base sense is moving through something that encloses or presses from above, requiring one to lower oneself.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal