彷徨さまよう

さ

ま

よ

う

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

wander; roam; loiter

usually written using kana alone

Describes moving about without a clear destination, often with a sense of being lost, aimless, or restless. Can be used for both physical wandering and metaphorical wandering (e.g., of thoughts).

夜よるの街まちをさまよった。
I wandered around the city at night.

彼かれは仕し事ごとを辞やめてから、ずっと人じん生せいの目もく的てきを求もとめてさまよっている。

Ever since he quit his job, he has been wandering in search of a purpose in life.

Written forms

彷徨さまようUsage16%
Standard kanji form; it is the primary kanji spelling.
さまようUsage77%
It is usually written in kana; this is the most common practical spelling.
さ迷まようUsage8%
Alternate kanji form; less common than 彷徨う.

Kanji

彷stray, wander, loiter
徨wandering
迷astray, be perplexed, in doubt

Similar words

歩あるき回まわる
歩き回る emphasizes walking around actively, often with a purpose or to cover an area, while さまよう implies aimlessness or being lost.
迷まよう
迷う focuses on being lost or indecisive, often in a specific situation; さまよう describes the act of wandering itself, often over a longer period or distance.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it may be related to the mimetic word さまざま (various) or the verb 迷う (to be lost). The kanji 彷徨 are ateji used for their meaning of 'wandering'.