飛ぶ

• Reading: とぶ
• Romaji: tobu
• Kanji breakdown: 飛 (hi/to) — to fly, to soar
• Pronunciation: /to.bɯ/

Meaning

To fly; to soar; to jump. Describes movement through the air — birds flying, planes soaring, or people jumping.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb conjugated with the ぶ ending (飛んで, 飛んだ, 飛びます). Note the ん sound change in te-form: 飛んで (not 飛いで). Used for birds, planes, insects, and figuratively for skipping: ページを飛ばす (skip a page). Related: 飛行機 (hikouki — airplane).

Examples

1. 鳥が空を飛んでいます。 A bird is flying in the sky.
2. 飛行機で東京に飛びました。 I flew to Tokyo by plane.
3. カエルが池に飛んだ。 A frog jumped into the pond.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, travel, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 飛 is a pictograph of a bird in flight with outstretched wings. It is one of the few kanji that retains a clear visual connection to its original meaning.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal