1.
dog paddle; doggy paddle
A basic swimming style in which the head stays above water and the hands paddle in short strokes, like a swimming dog. Often the first stroke beginners learn.
犬かきで泳ぐ。
I swim using the dog paddle.
息子はまだ犬かきしかできない。
My son can still only do the dog paddle.
泳ぎを習う前は、犬かきで何とか進んでいた。
Before I took swimming lessons, I managed to move forward with the dog paddle.
Compound of 犬 (dog) + かき (from 掻く, to paddle/scratch). Named for its resemblance to the way a dog swims. Seen as an unrefined, beginner's stroke.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 犬かきで泳ぐ: to swim the dog paddle
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 平泳ぎ: breaststroke
- クロール: front crawl; freestyle
- 背泳ぎ: backstroke