こぐ (kogu) means “row” | MotiTan Japanese Dictionary

More examples

向かい風の中、二人でこぎました。mu ka i kaze no naka futa ri de ko gi ma shi ta

The two of us rowed against the wind.

It centers on using repeated strokes with an oar or paddle to make a boat move across the water.

櫂やパドルを水中で繰り返し動かして、船やボートを進める。kai ya pa do ru o sui chū de ku ri kae shi ugo ka shi te fune ya bō to o susu me ru

こぐ (kogu, "to row") is a native Japanese verb; 漕ぐ (kogu) is its standard kanji spelling, while the verb itself does not come from a foreign word.

The verb こぐ (kogu) applies to both rowing and paddling, so the exact English choice depends on whether the tool is an oar or a paddle.