Japanese word

浮く

Pronunciation

Romajiuku

Meaning

  • verbfloat

Example

風船が空に浮きます。fū sen ga sora ni u ki ma su

A balloon floats in the sky.

Illustration for 浮く (float)

More examples

木片は水に浮きます。moku hen wa mizu ni u ki ma su

A piece of wood floats in water.

Core concept

It describes something remaining above the ground or a surface without dropping or sinking.

Common phrases

  • 水に浮くmizu ni u ku

    float on water

  • 水面に浮くsui men ni u ku

    float on the surface of the water

  • 空中に浮くkū chū ni u ku

    float in midair

Similar words

浮かぶukabu: To stay on or above a surface, often in water or air.
漂うtadayou: To drift gently while being carried by air or water.
浮き上がるukiagaru: To rise upward from a lower position or below a surface.

Definition in Japanese

空中や水面などで、下に落ちたり沈んだりせずにいる。kū chū ya sui men na do de shita ni o chi ta ri shizu n da ri se zu ni i ru

Word origin

The native Japanese verb 浮く (uku, "to float") is inherited from Old Japanese, where うく (uku, "to float") is recorded with the same basic form.

Usage tips

  • Besides its literal sense, 浮く (uku) can describe a person who looks out of place in a group, extending the idea of not blending into the surrounding scene.

Opposites

Related words

  • 浮きukifloatnoun

Word lists with this word