よろける
よろける
verb
to stumble; to stagger; to totter; to lose one's balance
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | よろける | よろけない |
| Present polite | よろけます | よろけません |
| Past | よろけた | よろけなかった |
| Past polite | よろけました | よろけませんでした |
| て form | よろけて | よろけなくて |
| ている present | よろけている | よろけていない |
| ている polite | よろけています | よろけていません |
| ている past | よろけていた | よろけていなかった |
| ている past polite | よろけていました | よろけていませんでした |
| Conditional ば | よろければ | よろけなければ |
| Conditional たら | よろけたら | よろけなかったら |
| Volitional | よろけよう | — |
| Volitional polite | よろけましょう | — |
| Potential | よろけられる | よろけられない |
| Passive | よろけられる | よろけられない |
| Causative | よろけさせる | よろけさせない |
| Imperative | よろけろ | よろけるな |
1.
to stumble; to stagger; to totter; to lose one's balance
To suddenly lose one's balance and lurch to the side, typically as a momentary event caused by tripping, being pushed, or a sudden movement.
石につまずいてよろけた。
I tripped on a stone and stumbled.
強風でよろけそうになった。
The strong wind almost knocked me off balance.
満員電車で急ブレーキがかかり、乗客たちが一斉によろけた。
When the brakes were suddenly applied on the packed train, all the passengers staggered at once.
Describes the sudden loss of balance causing someone to stumble or totter. Unlike ふらつく which implies ongoing unsteadiness, よろける describes a momentary event — a sudden stumble or lurch.
USAGE:
- Describes a brief, involuntary loss of balance
- Can be caused by external forces (wind, collision, sudden stops) or internal (tripping, weakness)
- The related form よろめく has the same physical meaning but also has a figurative sense of being tempted romantically
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- つまずいてよろける: to trip and stumble
- 押されてよろける: to be pushed and stagger
- よろけながら歩く: to walk unsteadily
- よろけそうになる: to nearly lose one's balance
SIMILAR WORDS:
- よろめく: to stumble, totter — also means to be tempted (romantically); slightly more literary
- ふらつく: to sway, stagger — implies continuous unsteadiness rather than a single moment
- つまずく: to trip, stumble — specifically about catching one's foot on something
- たたらを踏む: to stagger forward trying to regain balance — vivid and specific