Translation guide
The English verb 'traverse' means to move across, through, or over an area, often implying covering a distance or extent. In Japanese, there is no single direct equivalent; the best choice depends on what is being crossed and the manner of movement.
To move across or travel over a geographical area, often covering a large distance or difficult terrain.
The most general and common verb for 'traverse' in the sense of crossing a wide area, such as a continent, ocean, or desert. It emphasizes moving from one side to the other.
彼はアフリカ大陸を横断した。
He traversed the African continent.
The ship traverses the Pacific Ocean.
Specifically means to traverse lengthwise, from north to south or along the long axis. Often used for journeys covering the full length of a country or region.
彼らは日本列島を縦断した。
They traversed the Japanese archipelago from north to south.
Implies traversing on foot, often with a sense of conquering or completing a challenging route. Used for hiking trails, mountain ranges, or long-distance walks.
彼はアルプスの山々を踏破した。
He traversed the Alps on foot.
To move over, along, or through a surface, path, or medium, often with a sense of covering distance.
Common verb for crossing over something like a bridge, river, or street. Can also be used metaphorically for traversing the world or life.
橋を渡ってください。
Please traverse the bridge.
彼は世界中を渡り歩いた。
He traversed the world.
General verb for advancing or proceeding. Can be used for traversing a path, route, or distance, especially when focusing on the progress of movement.
To go through or examine elements of a data structure, list, or abstract space in a systematic way.
Technical term for scanning or traversing data, such as an array or tree structure. Common in computing contexts.
プログラムは配列を走査する。
The program traverses the array.
Means to follow or trace a path, either physically or abstractly. Can be used for traversing a linked list, a decision tree, or a sequence of steps.
リンクリストをたどってデータを取得する。
Traverse the linked list to retrieve data.
Implies making a circuit or visiting nodes in a graph. Often used in algorithms like depth-first search.
グラフを深さ優先で巡回する。
Traverse the graph depth-first.
To move across a steep slope horizontally or diagonally, rather than straight up or down.
Loanword from English, commonly used in mountaineering, climbing, and skiing to mean moving sideways across a slope.
急斜面をトラバースするのは危険だ。
Traversing a steep slope is dangerous.
Formal term for moving diagonally or obliquely. Used in technical contexts for traversing a slope.
登山者は斜面を斜行した。
The climber traversed the slope.
The English word 'traverse' is relatively formal and specific. In many everyday situations, simpler Japanese verbs like 渡る (cross), 通る (pass through), or 進む (advance) are more natural. Using 横断する for crossing a small street would sound overly dramatic.
横断 (おうだん) means crossing horizontally or from side to side, while 縦断 (じゅうだん) means traversing lengthwise, typically north-south. For example, traversing the Pacific Ocean is 太平洋横断, but traversing Japan from Hokkaido to Kyushu is 日本縦断.
Means to pass through a space, such as a tunnel, forest, or crowd. Emphasizes going from one end to the other and emerging.
トンネルを通り抜けると、海が見えた。
After traversing the tunnel, we saw the ocean.
Traverse that road straight ahead.