泳ぐ
およぐ
oyogu
= to swim
Oyogu (泳ぐ) is a straightforward verb at first glance — it means ‘to swim’ — but its kanji carries a surprisingly vivid picture of water in motion, and the word itself shows up in metaphors that extend far beyond the pool or the sea.
Oyogu (泳ぐ) is a godan verb (also called a u-verb or Group 1 verb) meaning ‘to swim.’ It conjugates as: oyogimasu (polite present), oyoganai (negative plain), oyoida (past plain), oyoide (te-form). The te-form oyoide is worth noting because the base changes from g to id — a voiced consonant shift that learners sometimes overlook. In literal use, oyogu describes physical swimming in water, whether in a pool (puru de oyogu), the ocean (umi de oyogu), or a river (kawa de oyogu). In extended metaphorical use, it can describe navigating a complex or difficult environment — someone might say they are ‘swimming through bureaucracy’ or ‘swimming against the current of public opinion,’ using oyogu for effortful movement through a challenging medium.
Learners frequently confuse oyogu with ukаbu (浮かぶ, to float) and moguru (潜る, to dive/submerge). Oyogu implies active propulsion through water; floating is passive (ukabu). Also, be careful with the te-form: oyoide, not oyogte. As a godan verb ending in -gu, the te-form follows the -ide pattern. For swimming competitions, Japanese uses the English loanword suimu (スイム) or the compound suiei (水泳), which is the noun form for ‘swimming’ as a sport or activity — so you register for suiei kyoushitsu (swimming class) but say you oyogu when describing what you actually do in the water.
泳 is built from the water radical 氵 (three dots on the left, a simplified form of 水, water) combined with 永 (eternal/long), which itself depicts branching streams flowing outward from a central source. The combination evokes the image of water spreading and a body moving through it. 永 also appears in the famous calligraphy practice character because it contains all eight fundamental brush strokes of Chinese characters. The full character 泳ぐ thus holds the idea of sustained, flowing movement through water.
Casual / Social Media
夏休みに海で泳いだ。
Natsu yasumi ni umi de oyoida.
I swam in the ocean during summer vacation. (sharing a holiday memory with friends)
Everyday use
毎朝プールで三十分泳ぎます。
Maiasa puuru de sanjuppun oyogimasu.
I swim in the pool for thirty minutes every morning. (describing a fitness routine)
Formal / Cultural context
あの川は流れが速くて泳げない。
Ano kawa wa nagare ga hayakute oyogenai.
The current in that river is too fast to swim in. (warning someone about a dangerous spot)
Swimming holds a distinct place in Japanese physical education. Suiei (水泳) is a mandatory component of school PE from elementary through junior high school, and most public schools have rooftop or on-site pools. The annual summer swimming unit, typically held in July before the school break, is a rite of passage. Students are graded not just on speed but on form, and achieving a 25-meter swim without stopping is a common benchmark. This institutional emphasis on swimming as a skill — not just a pastime — shapes how Japanese speakers conceptualize oyogu: it carries a sense of competence and measured progress.
Japan’s relationship with the sea also gives oyogu cultural texture. Traditional ama (海女) divers — predominantly women who dive without breathing equipment to harvest shellfish, seaweed, and pearls — have practiced their craft along Japan’s coastlines for over two thousand years. When these divers descend and ascend through the water, the verb used is often moguru (to dive), but oyogu frames the surface-level movement between dives. The image of the ama persists in regional tourism and folklore, keeping swimming in the ocean tied to a heritage of skilled, purposeful movement through water.