Japanese word

飛び交う

Pronunciation

Romajitobikau

Meaning

  • verbflit about

Example

蝶が庭を飛び交います。chō ga niwa o to bi ka i ma su

Butterflies flit about in the garden.

Illustration for 飛び交う (flit about)

More examples

窓を開けると、鳥たちが青空を飛び交っています。mado o a ke ru to tori ta chi ga ao zora o to bi ka tte i ma su

When I open the window, birds are flitting about in the blue sky.

Core concept

Shows multiple flying things crossing and passing one another as they move through the air.

Common phrases

  • 噂が飛び交うuwasa ga to bi ka u

    rumors fly around

  • 情報が飛び交うjō hō ga to bi ka u

    information flies around

  • 質問が飛び交うshitsu mon ga to bi ka u

    questions fly back and forth

Similar words

飛び回るtobimawaru: To move actively through an area by flying around it.
舞うmau: To move lightly through the air in a fluttering or circling way.
行き交うikikau: To move back and forth across the same area.

Definition in Japanese

複数の鳥や虫などが、空中を互いに行き来するように飛ぶ。fuku sū no tori ya mushi na do ga kū chū o taga i ni i ki ki su ru yō ni to bu

Word origin

The native Japanese compound joins 飛ぶ (tobu, "to fly") and 交う (kau, "to cross or pass each other"), with 飛ぶ taking its connective form.

Usage tips

  • The word also applies to things such as arrows or messages when they move back and forth across a shared space, not only to living creatures.

Other meanings

  • fly past each otherverb

Word lists with this word