Japanese word

横たわる

Pronunciation

Romajiyokotawaru

Meaning

  • verblie

Example

彼女は芝生に横たわっています。kano jo wa shibafu ni yoko ta wa tte i ma su

She is lying on the grass.

Illustration for 横たわる (lie)

More examples

疲れた旅行者がベンチに横たわっています。tsuka re ta ryo kō sha ga be n chi ni yoko ta wa tte i ma su

A tired traveler is lying on a bench.

Core concept

It describes a change into, or a state of, a horizontal resting posture.

Common phrases

  • 地面に横たわるji men ni yoko ta wa ru

    lie on the ground

  • 仰向けに横たわるao mu ke ni yoko ta wa ru

    lie on one's back

Similar words

横になるyokoninaru: To move into a horizontal position for rest.
寝転ぶnekorobu: To lie down in a relaxed, casual manner.
寝そべるnesoberu: To stretch out while lying down.

Definition in Japanese

体や物が、横になった状態でいること。karada ya mono ga yoko ni na tta jō tai de i ru ko to

Word origin

横たわる (yokotawaru) comes from the native elements 横 (yoko, "sideways") and たわる (tawaru, "to lie down"), giving it the sense of lying in a horizontal position.

Usage tips

  • The contrast between physical lying and telling an untruth helps distinguish Japanese 横たわる (yokotawaru) from the broader English word lie.

Other meanings

  • lie downverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word