JLPT N3 · Verb

沿う (sou)

沿う (そう, sou) is a Japanese verb meaning “to run along; to run beside”. It appears in JLPT N3 vocabulary lists and is marked as a common word in JMdict.

Reading: そう
Romaji: sou
Word class: Godan verb (う-verb) ending in う
Level: JLPT N3 (unofficial)

Meaning

to run along; to run beside; to stick to (a line) · godan verb, intransitive
to follow (a policy, plan, etc.); to act in accordance with; to align with · godan verb, intransitive
to meet (wishes, expectations, etc.); to satisfy; to comply with; to live up to · godan verb, intransitive · also written 添う

Example sentences

私たちは川に沿って散歩した。

We took a walk along the river.

Tatoeba #165529

Sentences from the Tatoeba project, linked to this word in JMdict.

Conjugation of 沿う

Godan verb (う-verb) ending in う. Plain and polite forms below; try any other word in the Japanese verb conjugator.

Form	Japanese	Reading
Dictionary	沿う	そう sou
Polite (~masu)	沿います	そいます soimasu
Negative	沿わない	そわない sowanai
Polite negative	沿いません	そいません soimasen
Past	沿った	そった sotta
Polite past	沿いました	そいました soimashita
Negative past	沿わなかった	そわなかった sowanakatta
Te-form	沿って	そって sotte
Potential	沿える	そえる soeru
Passive	沿われる	そわれる sowareru
Causative	沿わせる	そわせる sowaseru
Volitional	沿おう	そおう soou
Imperative	沿え	そえ soe
Conditional (~ba)	沿えば	そえば soeba

Kanji in 沿う

沿

run alongside, follow along, run alongエン・そ.う・-ぞ.い · 8 strokes

Related words

Other vocabulary sharing a kanji with 沿う.

沿岸えんがんcoast沿線えんせんplaces alongside a railway line, bus route, major thoroughfare, etc.

Source: JMdict entry 1176700 (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0). Level: unofficial JLPT list – how levels are assigned.