“To walk” in Japanese is 歩く (あるく), pronounced aruku.
Pronunciation
The word has 3 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
To walk. 歩いて means “on foot”: 歩いて五分, five minutes on foot.
Example sentences
- 駅まで歩きます。えきまであるきます。I’ll walk to the station.
- 歩いて十分ぐらいです。あるいてじゅっぷんぐらいです。It’s about ten minutes on foot.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 歩く. The rules are explained in Japanese verbs: the ます form.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary (plain) | 歩く あるく | walk |
| Polite present | 歩きます あるきます | walk |
| Polite negative | 歩きません あるきません | don’t walk |
| Polite past | 歩きました あるきました | past of “walk” |
| Plain negative (ない) | 歩かない あるかない | don’t walk (casual) |
| Plain past (た) | 歩いた あるいた | past of “walk” (casual) |
| て-form | 歩いて あるいて | walk and… / please walk (+ください) |
| Want to (たい) | 歩きたい あるきたい | want to walk |
Quick practice
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Related words: Everyday verbs
FAQ
How do you say to walk in Japanese?
To walk in Japanese is 歩く (あるく), pronounced “aruku”.
How do you write to walk in Japanese?
It's written 歩く with kanji, or あるく in hiragana. Both are read aruku.
Is 歩く on the JLPT?
Yes. 歩く (aruku) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.