歩き回る・歩きまわる・歩き廻る|あるきまわるarukimawaru[5]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
歩き回る歩き回る is the most common written form and the recommended choice for learners. It is written with kanji and kana.
歩きまわる歩きまわる is a less common variant of 歩き回る, also written with kanji and kana. You may encounter it, but choose 歩き回る for your own writing.
歩き廻る歩き廻る is a rarely used written form of 歩き回る, written with kanji and kana. Learners should generally choose 歩き回る instead.
Definitions
- godan verb, intransitive verbto walk about; to walk around; to walk to and fro; to pace around; to wander
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 歩き回る（あるきまわる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 歩き回ります（あるきまわります） |
| Negative (nai) | 歩き回らない（あるきまわらない） |
| polite (masen) | 歩き回りません（あるきまわりません） |
| classical zu / nu | 歩き回らず・歩き回らぬ（あるきまわらず・あるきまわらぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 歩き回った（あるきまわった） |
| polite (mashita) | 歩き回りました（あるきまわりました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 歩き回らなかった（あるきまわらなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 歩き回りませんでした（あるきまわりませんでした） |
| Te form | 歩き回って（あるきまわって） |
| Potential | 歩き回れる（あるきまわれる） |
| Passive | 歩き回られる（あるきまわられる） |
| Causative | 歩き回らせる（あるきまわらせる） |
| Causative passive | 歩き回らせられる・歩き回らされる（あるきまわらせられる・あるきまわらされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 歩き回れば（あるきまわれば） |
| tara | 歩き回ったら（あるきまわったら） |
| Volitional | 歩き回ろう（あるきまわろう） |
| polite (mashou) | 歩き回りましょう（あるきまわりましょう） |
| Imperative | 歩き回れ（あるきまわれ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonymほっつき歩くほっつきあるくCasualColloquial for wandering about aimlessly, often with a reproachful tone; 「歩き回る」is neutral and simply describes moving around.
- Synonymそぞろ歩くそぞろあるくWrittenLiterary word for a leisurely, aimless stroll; it stresses relaxed idleness, not going about from place to place.
- Synonym巡り歩くめぐりあるくNeutralTo go around visiting places one by one, as in 「名所を巡り歩く」; it stresses purposeful, stop-by-stop touring.
- Synonym拾い歩きひろいあるきNeutralRare word for ambling, or for picking one's way along the good parts of a road to avoid puddles; the stress is on choosing where to walk.
- RelatedめぐるNeutralBroad verb for circling or touring around, also for seasons coming round; it stresses making a circuit, not wandering about.
- Related転々てんてんNeutralAdverb for moving from place to place, stressing frequent changes of location, as in 「職を転々とする」.
- Related回るまわるNeutralThe same 「巡る」 as the previous entry; it also means an issue revolves around something, as in 「をめぐる議論」 — a sense unrelated to walking.
- RelatedさまようNeutralTo wander or pace about with a lost, directionless feeling; more negative in tone than 「歩き回る」.
- RelatedうろつくNeutralTo hang around or prowl an area, often with a suspicious nuance, as in 「不審者がうろつく」.
- Related散歩さんぽNeutralEveryday word for a walk taken for leisure or to clear your head; 「歩き回る」need not be for pleasure — it can mean going around looking for someone or on business.
- Related放浪ほうろうNeutralTo roam with no fixed home, as in 「放浪の旅」; 「歩き回る」just means going about, on any scale, with no sense of leaving home.
- Related遊歩ゆうほWrittenRare literary word for walking slowly for health or a change of mood; mostly seen in 「遊歩道」.
- Related散策さんさくNeutralLeans written; a leisurely stroll taken in to enjoy the surroundings, typical at sightseeing spots.
- Related逍遥しょうようWrittenLiterary, old-fashioned word for rambling freely at one's ease, with a poetic, contemplative flavor.
- Related漂泊ひょうはくWrittenLiterary word for drifting about with nowhere settled to stay, tinged with loneliness.
- Related流浪るろうWrittenLiterary word for wandering far from home with no fixed abode; 「歩き回る」is just moving around, with no implication of homelessness.
- Related流れ歩くながれあるくNeutralTo drift about aimlessly, stressing life without a fixed home; 「歩き回る」has no sense of drifting.
- Related立ち回るたちまわるNeutralAlso means walking about, but adds senses of conducting oneself or maneuvering for advantage, and of a fugitive turning up somewhere.
- RelatedぶらつくCasualColloquial for strolling about idly, with a relaxed, nothing-to-do feel.
- Related低回ていかいWrittenRare literary word for pacing back and forth while deep in thought; the focus is on pondering, not on the range of walking.
- RelatedさすらうWrittenLiterary word for wandering or drifting from place to place, carrying a lonely, forlorn feel.
- Antonym立ち止まるたちどまるNeutralAntonym: to halt or stop in one's tracks, the opposite of walking about everywhere.
- Antonym止まるとまるNeutralAntonym: broad verb for coming to a stop, the opposite of moving around; used in many contexts.
For going about on foot — pacing a room, wearing your legs out — use 「歩き回る」, as in 「部屋の中を歩き回る」 or 「足を棒にして歩き回る」. For prowling suspiciously, say 「うろつく」; for idly strolling, 「ぶらつく」; for drifting or roaming without a home, 「放浪」. For a leisurely walk, 「散歩」 or 「散策」 fits better, and the opposite of all this walking about is 「立ち止まる」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
- あちこち歩く。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
