Kanji 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: しんにょう(辶)

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)
  • 遊泳ゆうえい — swimming
  • 遊興ゆうきょう — amusement, entertainment
  • 遊戯ゆうぎ — play, game
  • 遊星ゆうせい — planet
Compound Verbs - tap to expand
  • あそあるく — to wander around for fun; to stroll about
  • あそまわる — to play around; to roam about
  • あそびまくる — to play a lot; to indulge in playing
  • あそほうける — to neglect duties and just play around
  • あそつかれる — to get tired from playing

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.

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