渡る

§ What does it mean and when do people use it?

The Japanese verb 渡る (wataru) is a really useful word to add to your vocabulary. At its core, it means 'to cross.' You'll hear it used in many everyday situations, especially when talking about moving from one side of something to another. Think of things you can physically cross: a bridge, a road, a river, or even a street.

DEFINITION

to cross (a bridge, road)

Let's get practical. When you're walking around in Japan, you'll often need to talk about crossing streets or bridges. This is where 渡る comes in handy. It's not just for people crossing; you can also use it to describe vehicles crossing something.

The key idea here is movement from one side to the other, usually over an obstacle or a defined area. It's often used with the particle を (o) to mark the thing being crossed.

While the most common usage is physical crossing, 渡る can also have a slightly more abstract meaning, like 'to extend over' or 'to range over.' However, for A2 learners, focus on the concrete 'to cross' meaning first. That's what you'll encounter most often in daily conversation.

Here are some common scenarios where you'd use 渡る:

• When crossing a street at a crosswalk.
• When walking or driving over a bridge.
• When birds fly across a river.
• When moving from one bank of a river to the other.

It's a regular verb, so its conjugations are straightforward. You'll use it in its plain form, past form, negative form, etc., just like other regular Japanese verbs ending in -る.

This example shows the past tense (渡って). You can see it's used to describe crossing a mountain, which is a bit more figurative than a road, but still involves moving 'over' it. The core meaning of moving from one side to another remains constant.

Understanding 渡る is essential for navigating daily life in Japan and for understanding directions. Practice using it with different nouns like 道 (michi - road), 橋 (hashi - bridge), and 川 (kawa - river). This will solidify your understanding and make your Japanese sound more natural.

§ Understanding 渡る (wataru)

The Japanese verb 渡る (wataru) means 'to cross.' You'll use it when talking about crossing physical spaces like bridges, roads, or rivers. It implies movement from one side to another. Think of it as moving across a surface or a gap.

§ Basic Sentence Structure with 渡る

When using 渡る, the particle を (o) is typically used to mark the place being crossed. This particle shows the direct object of the verb, which is the thing you are crossing over.

Structure

[Place to cross] を (o) 渡る (wataru)

Hashi o watarimasu.
I will cross the bridge.

Michi o wataru.
To cross the road.

§ Using 渡る with Directions or Purposes

You can combine 渡る with other particles to add more detail to your sentence. For example, to specify a destination after crossing, you might use へ (e) or に (ni).

Kawa o watatte, eki e ikimasu.
I will cross the river and go to the station.

Here, 渡って (watatte) is the te-form of 渡る, used to connect sequential actions. After crossing the river, the speaker goes to the station.

§ Common Phrases with 渡る

Here are some common phrases where 渡る is used:

• 横断歩道を渡る

  To cross a pedestrian crossing.

  安全に横断歩道を渡りましょう。

  Anzen ni oudanhodou o watarimashou.
  Let's cross the pedestrian crossing safely.

• 海を渡る

  To cross the sea (often implying traveling abroad).

  彼は若い時に海を渡った。

  Kare wa wakai toki ni umi o watatta.
  He crossed the sea when he was young.

§ Distinguishing 渡る from other verbs

While 渡る specifically means 'to cross over,' other verbs might seem similar. For instance, 通る (tooru) means 'to pass through' or 'to go along.' The difference is subtle but important:

• 渡る (wataru): Focuses on going from one side to the other, usually over something like a bridge or road. It emphasizes the act of traversing a barrier or gap.
• 通る (tooru): Focuses on moving along or passing through an area, without necessarily implying going from one side to another. It's more about movement within a space.

Kouen no naka o tooru.
To pass through the park.

Let's dive into some practical uses of 贡る (wataru). This verb means "to cross" and you'll hear it in many different contexts. We'll look at how it's used in daily conversations, news, and even at work or school.

§ Basic Uses of 贡る

The most common use of 贡る is literally about crossing something. Think about crossing a street, a bridge, or even a river. Here are some examples:

Translation Hint

When you cross the street, look left and right.

Translation Hint

It takes 5 minutes to cross the bridge.

§ 贡る in Work and School Settings

While 贡る often implies physical crossing, it can also be used in more abstract ways, especially in formal contexts like work or school. For example, it can refer to something extending over a period of time, or covering a range of topics.

Translation Hint

This lecture covers a wide range of topics.

Here, "広範囲に渡る" means it spans or covers a broad range. You might also hear it in phrases related to seasons or time:

Translation Hint

The changing of seasons from spring to summer.

§ 贡る in the News

In news reports, 贡る can describe broader movements or impacts. It's often used to talk about things that spread across regions or even globally. For instance, when discussing the reach of an event or influence.

Translation Hint

That problem spread to international regions.

Here, "国際的な地域に渡りました" means the problem extended or reached international areas. You might also see it when discussing the spread of information or trends.

Translation Hint

This news spread throughout the country.

§ Other Common Expressions with 贡る

You'll also encounter 贡る in some common set phrases. Knowing these will help you understand more natural Japanese.

• よい年をお贡りください (yoi otoshi o owatari kudasai): This is a polite New Year's greeting, meaning "Have a good year" or "May the year cross over well." It's used before the New Year.

• 海外へ贡る (kaigai e wataru): To go overseas or cross to a foreign country.

Translation Hint

He went overseas last year.

§ Don't confuse 渡る (wataru) with 通る (tooru)

Many learners get 渡る (wataru) and 通る (tooru) mixed up because both can be translated as 'to cross' or 'to pass through' in English. However, their nuances are different, and using the wrong one can sound unnatural.

渡る (wataru) is specifically used for crossing *over* something, like a bridge, a road, or a river. It implies moving from one distinct side to another.

通る (tooru) means to pass *through* or *along* something. It can be used for passing through a tunnel, walking along a street, or simply going through a space. It doesn't necessarily imply reaching the other side, but rather moving within or along a path.

§ Using the wrong particle

When using 渡る (wataru), the particle you use with the object you are crossing is important. It's almost always the direct object particle を (o).

Correct:

道を渡る (michi o wataru) - cross the road

Incorrect (common mistake):

道で渡る (michi de wataru) - This would imply crossing *at* the road, but not crossing *the road itself* as the object of the action. While grammatically it might not be completely impossible in a very specific context, it's not how you express 'crossing the road'.

§ Don't overgeneralize its meaning

While 渡る (wataru) means 'to cross', it's not used for every instance of 'crossing' you might think of in English. For example, you wouldn't use it for:

• Crossing your arms: This would be 腕を組む (ude o kumu).
• Crossing your legs: This is 足を組む (ashi o kumu).
• Crossing out a word: This would be 線を引く (sen o hiku - to draw a line) or 消す (kesu - to erase).

Always remember that 渡る (wataru) implies a physical movement from one side to another, typically over or through a geographical feature or a defined path. Stick to its core meaning of crossing things like roads, rivers, bridges, or even oceans (e.g., 海を渡る - umi o wataru, to cross the ocean).

§ What 渡る (wataru) means

The Japanese verb 渡る (wataru) means "to cross." You use it when talking about crossing a physical barrier like a bridge, a road, or a river. It implies moving from one side to the other.

Here are some examples: