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How to say 'Drown' in Japanese | 溺れる

Wondering how to say 'Drown' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Drown is 'Oboreru', written as 溺れる in Japanese.'Drown' in hiragana is おぼれる.

    Meaning

    Drown

    Reading

    おぼれる

    oboreru

    Kanji

    Drown, Indulge

    Explanation

    The Japanese verb '溺れる (おぼれる)' primarily means 'to drown'. It refers to the act of being submerged in water and unable to breathe, often leading to suffocation. However, it can also be used metaphorically to describe being overwhelmed by emotions or circumstances. For example: He drowned in the river「彼は川で溺れた」(かれはかわでおぼれた). She is drowning in work「彼女は仕事に溺れている」(かのじょはしごとにおぼれている). The verb can be used in both literal and figurative contexts, making it versatile in expressing situations of being overwhelmed or consumed.

    Part Of Speech

    verb

    Kanji JLPT

    Unknown

    Kanji Grade

    10

    Frequency

    5026

    Composition

    kanji-hiragana

    Handwriting

This word is an ichidan verb. To learn how it transforms in different tenses and forms, explore all its conjugations.

Kanji in the Word 溺れる

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Drown, Indulge

Hiragana in the Word 溺れる

This word contains 2 Hiragana characters :

  • hiragana

    Reading

    Re
  • hiragana

    Reading

    Ru

Learn the Word 溺れる

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What does 'Oboreru' (溺れる) mean?

'Oboreru' means 'Drown' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.