流(なが)れ

ながれ

noun

flow, stream, current

movement abstract

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; sequence of steps

The direction or progression of events, time, or abstract concepts; also the order in which a process or piece of work proceeds.

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.

Common patterns

川(かわ)の流(なが)れ: river current
時(とき)の流(なが)れ: passage of time
仕事(しごと)の流(なが)れ: workflow, the steps of a job
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
〜の流(なが)れを汲(く)む: to descend from, belong to the tradition of

Compounds

流(なが)れ星(ぼし): shooting star
流(なが)れ作業(さぎょう): assembly-line work
流(なが)れ者(もの): drifter, wanderer

Related Words

Related: 流(なが)れる (verb: to flow)

Compare: 移(うつ)ろい (change)

Compare: 水流(すいりゅう) (water current)

Compare: うねり (swell)

core

Added 2026.1.12 19:34 · Revised 2026.9.30 7:00

03500/03504_nagare