流(なが)れ

ながれ

noun

flow, stream, current

1. flow, stream, current

The movement of water, air, or other fluids. Can refer to rivers, streams, or any continuous movement.

川(かわ)の流(なが)れが速(はや)い。

The river current is fast.

水(みず)の流(なが)れに沿(そ)って歩(ある)いた。

I walked along the flow of water.

流(なが)れが強(つよ)いので泳(およ)がないでください。

Please don't swim because the current is strong.

風(かぜ)の流(なが)れが変(か)わった。

The air current changed.

雨(あめ)で川(かわ)の流(なが)れが増(ま)して、橋(はし)が危(あぶ)なくなった。

The river current swelled from the rain, and the bridge became dangerous.

2. course, progression, trend

The direction or progression of events, time, or abstract concepts.

時代(じだい)の流(なが)れに乗(の)る。

To ride the tide of the times.

話(はなし)の流(なが)れが分(わ)からない。

I can't follow the flow of the conversation.

会話(かいわ)の流(なが)れを止(と)めないでください。

Please don't interrupt the flow of conversation.

試合(しあい)の流(なが)れが変(か)わった。

The flow of the game changed.

時(とき)の流(なが)れは速(はや)いもので、もう十年(じゅうねん)が経(た)った。

Time flows fast — ten years have already passed.

USAGE: 流(なが)れ is the noun form of 流(なが)れる (to flow). It's used both literally (water, air) and figuratively (events, time, trends).

COMMON PATTERNS:

川(かわ)の流(なが)れ (river current)
時(とき)の流(なが)れ (passage of time)
流(なが)れに逆(さか)らう (to go against the flow)
流(なが)れに身(み)を任(まか)せる (to go with the flow)
流(なが)れ作業(さぎょう) (assembly line work)

COMPOUNDS:

流(なが)れ星(ぼし) (shooting star)
流(なが)れ者(もの) (drifter, wanderer)
血(ち)の流(なが)れ (bloodline, lineage)

Related Words

Related: 流(なが)れる (verb: to flow)

core

Added 2026.1.12 19:34 · Revised 2026.5.26 7:05

03500/03504_nagare