匍匐前進
ほふくぜんしん
noun, suru verb
crawling forward; belly crawl
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 匍匐前進する | 匍匐前進しない |
| Present polite | 匍匐前進します | 匍匐前進しません |
| Past | 匍匐前進した | 匍匐前進しなかった |
| Past polite | 匍匐前進しました | 匍匐前進しませんでした |
| て form | 匍匐前進して | 匍匐前進しなくて |
| ている present | 匍匐前進している | 匍匐前進していない |
| ている polite | 匍匐前進しています | 匍匐前進していません |
| ている past | 匍匐前進していた | 匍匐前進していなかった |
| ている past polite | 匍匐前進していました | 匍匐前進していませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 匍匐前進すれば | 匍匐前進しなければ |
| Conditional たら | 匍匐前進したら | 匍匐前進しなかったら |
| Volitional | 匍匐前進しよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 匍匐前進しましょう | — |
| Potential | 匍匐前進できる | 匍匐前進できない |
| Passive | 匍匐前進される | 匍匐前進されない |
| Causative | 匍匐前進させる | 匍匐前進させない |
| Imperative | 匍匐前進しろ | 匍匐前進するな |
1.
crawling forward; belly crawl; low crawl
Moving forward on one's stomach with elbows and knees, keeping the body as low as possible. Originally a military technique for advancing under enemy fire, but also used figuratively for any painstakingly slow progress.
匍匐前進で進む。
To advance by crawling on one's belly.
訓練で泥の中を匍匐前進させられた。
During training, we were made to belly-crawl through mud.
プロジェクトは匍匐前進のような遅さだが、確実に前に進んでいる。
The project is moving at a crawl, but it's making steady progress.
匍匐前進 means low-crawling forward — advancing on one's belly along the ground — originally a military movement, now also used figuratively for slow, painful progress.
USAGE:
- The kanji 匍匐 (to crawl on the ground) uses rare characters that almost never appear outside this word.
- Functions as a する verb and as a noun.
- Originally a military term for moving low to avoid enemy gunfire or detection.
- The figurative use is vivid and slightly dramatic: it suggests effortful, inch-by-inch progress against difficult conditions.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 匍匐前進する: to crawl forward
- 匍匐前進で進む: to advance by belly-crawling
- 匍匐前進の訓練: low-crawl training (military)
- 匍匐前進するように進める: 'pushed forward inch by inch as if crawling' (figurative)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 前進: forward movement (the general term).
- 這う: to crawl (the everyday verb; used for babies, animals, or anyone moving on hands and knees).
- 遅々として進まない: 'progresses only sluggishly' (a related figurative expression).