横たわる

• Reading: よこたわる
• Romaji: yokotawaru
• Kanji breakdown: 横 (ō/yoko) — horizontal, sideways, across
• Pronunciation: /jo.ko.ta.wa.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To lie down; to extend; to stretch out. Used for a person lying horizontally, a geographical feature spanning a distance, or an abstract problem underlying a situation.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb. The literal sense is to recline; the extended sense covers things that spread across a space (山脈が横たわる — a mountain range extends) or abstract realities that underlie a situation (問題が横たわる — a problem lies beneath the surface). The abstract usage is common in formal and journalistic writing.

Examples

1. 疲れ果てた彼はソファに横たわったまま眠ってしまった。 Completely exhausted, he fell asleep lying on the sofa.
2. 山脈が国境線に沿って長く横たわっている。 A mountain range stretches out along the border for a great distance.
3. 問題の根底には解決が難しい矛盾が横たわる。 At the root of the problem lies a contradiction that is difficult to resolve.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, geography, journalism, daily life, abstract analysis

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 横 (yoko — horizontal, sideways) and たわる (to bend, to lie along), an archaic intransitive form. The image is of something bending or stretching itself out flat along a horizontal plane.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: General