遊

音読おんよみ: ユウ

訓読くんよみ: あそ

画数かくすう: 12

部首ぶしゅ: 辶(しんにょう)

Meaning

Play / Enjoy / Travel

  • Basic forms
  • 遊ぶ — to play, to hang out / base form
  • 遊びます — polite / I play / masu form
  • 遊んだ — past / played / ta form
  • 遊んで — te-form / play (and …) / linking or request
  • 遊ばない — negative / don’t play / negative form
  • 遊べば — if (I) play / conditional
  • 遊べ — play! / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 遊びたい — want to play / 〜たい form
  • 遊べる — can play / be able to play / potential
  • 遊べなかった — couldn’t play / wasn’t able to play / potential negative past
  • More
  • 遊ぼう — let’s play / 〜よう form
  • 遊ばなかった — past negative / didn’t play
  • 遊んでいる — playing / hanging out (right now) / progressive / state

遊ぶ (あそぶ) is a godan (う-verb) ending in ぶ. In て- and た-forms, ぶ changes to んで / んだ: 遊んで, 遊んだ. Used for both playing and social activities — e.g., 友達と遊ぶ (to hang out with friends).

  • 遊園地ゆうえんち — amusement park
  • 遊学ゆうがく — studying abroad
  • 遊歩道ゆうほどう — promenade, walkway
  • 外遊がいゆう — overseas trip (esp. by a diplomat)

遊 is a phono-semantic compound: the part with 斿 gives the sound, and 辶 (movement radical) gives the meaning of "wandering or moving." Together, they reflect the idea of playful movement or free activity.

子供達こどもたちが公園こうえんあそんでいます。
The children are playing in the park.

夏休なつやすみに遊園地ゆうえんちきました。
I went to an amusement park during summer vacation.

泳
Creates
遊泳ゆうえい — swimming
◀︎ Sayings+ ▶︎