godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
float; stay afloat
Basic intransitive use: something is on or in a liquid, air, etc. without sinking.
木の葉が池に浮いている。
A leaf is floating on the pond.
氷は水に浮く。
Ice floats on water.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
come loose; lift away; become unsteady
Used when something that should be fixed or flush with a surface has lifted, loosened, or become unstable.
湿気で壁紙の端が浮いてきた。
The edge of the wallpaper has started to lift because of the humidity.
古い床板が少し浮いている。
The old floorboard is a little loose.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
feel out of place; be socially isolated; not fit in
Colloquial figurative use for a person or thing that does not blend in with the surrounding group, atmosphere, or setting.
転校したばかりで、クラスで少し浮いている。
Since I just transferred schools, I feel a little out of place in class.
その派手な服は会議では浮いていた。
Those flashy clothes looked out of place at the meeting.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
be cheerful; be in good spirits
A mood-related use, especially familiar in negative fixed expressions such as 浮かない顔 and 浮かぬ顔, meaning a gloomy or downcast face.
See also: 浮かぬ顔
試験に落ちて、彼は浮かぬ顔をしていた。
After failing the exam, he had a gloomy look on his face.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
be saved; be left over; be freed up
Used with money, time, expenses, effort, etc. when something is saved or becomes available because it was not spent or used.
自転車で行ったので、電車代が浮いた。
Because I went by bicycle, I saved the train fare.
会議が早く終わって、一時間浮いた。
The meeting ended early, so an hour freed up.
godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb
frivolous or amorous; groundless; unreliable
Mostly seen in attributive forms such as 浮いた + noun. Depending on the collocation, it can suggest light or frivolous romantic gossip, or something lacking a firm basis; the baseless or unreliable shade is less common as a standalone modern predicate.
彼には浮いた話がほとんどない。
There is hardly any romantic gossip about him.
証拠のない浮いたうわさを信じてはいけない。
You should not believe groundless rumors with no evidence.