How to say "soar" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 飛ぶとぶgodan verb, intransitive verbThe general word for flight: use it when 'soar' simply means flying or gliding through the air, as a bird or plane does. This is the safe default for any flying sense.
- 翔るかけるgodan verb, intransitive verbHere 'soar' keeps its full image: a bird flying high across the open sky. Choose it when you want that sweeping picture of flight rather than a plain statement of flying.
- 舞い上がるまいあがるgodan verb, intransitive verbUse this for rising or swirling up into the air: things whirled up from below, such as dust or petals, or a bird flying up high. The image is of upward, dancing movement.
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbThis is not about flying: it describes something tall, such as a building or mountain, rising high into the sky. Its 'soar' is that towering sense; in writing, the word normally appears in kana.
Choose 「飛ぶ」 for flight in general, 「翔る」 when you picture a bird soaring across the open sky, 「舞い上がる」 for something rising or swirling upward, and 「そびえる」 for a building or mountain towering skyward.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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