godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
follow (a road, path); trace (a route)
Used for physically following a road, path, or route, often with a sense of moving along it step by step.
地図を頼りに山道をたどった。
I followed the mountain path relying on the map.
川の流れをたどって下流へ向かった。
I traced the river's flow and headed downstream.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
follow (a clue, scent, tracks); trace (history, family tree); retrace (memory); search; go over
Abstract use: following clues, tracks, or a sequence of events; tracing back history, memories, or a family line; also used for searching or going over something step by step.
警察はわずかな手がかりをたどって犯人を特定した。
The police traced the few clues and identified the culprit.
彼は記憶をたどって、事件のあった日の行動を説明した。
He retraced his memory and explained his actions on the day of the incident.
家系図をたどると、先祖は武士だったことがわかった。
Tracing the family tree revealed that the ancestors were samurai.
godan verb (-ru), transitive verb
head towards (a situation); take (a course); pursue (a path); meet (a fate)
Used for a situation or life course heading in a certain direction, often with a nuance of inevitability or a predetermined path. Common with words like 運命 (fate) or 破滅 (ruin).
このままでは会社は破滅の道をたどるだろう。
At this rate, the company will head down the path to ruin.
彼は苦労の連続という人生をたどってきた。
He has pursued a life of continuous hardship.