流れる

• Reading: ながれる
• Romaji: nagareru
• Kanji breakdown: 流 (ryuu/naga) — flow, stream
• Pronunciation: /na.ɡa.ɾe.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To flow; to stream; to be washed away. Movement of liquid, time, or events in a continuous direction.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb conjugated by dropping る (流れない, 流れます). The intransitive pair of 流す. Used for rivers (川が流れる), time passing (時間が流れる), music playing (音楽が流れる), events being canceled (試合が流れる), and tears falling (涙が流れる). One of the most versatile verbs in Japanese.

Examples

1. この川は北から南に向かって流れている。 This river flows from north to south.
2. 店の中に静かな音楽が流れていた。 Soft music was playing inside the store.
3. 汗が額から流れてきた。 Sweat started running down my forehead.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, time, music

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 流 combines 氵 (water radical) with elements suggesting continuous movement. A fundamental water-related verb in Japanese since ancient times.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal