Meaning

Primary

To Flush Something

Alternatives

To Pour Something, To Set Something Afloat

Word Type

transitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means stream. If you're streaming water, it might be to flush something. Alternatively, to pour something makes a stream of liquid, and to set something afloat is to make something flow in the stream.

Reading

ながす
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:

What do you do with someone who is a nagger (one who nags)? You have to flush them down the toilet. Imagine someone nagging you to do your chores so you flush them down the toilet, somehow.

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 水を流す

    to pour water, to flush a toilet

    音楽を流す

    to play music

    血を流す

    to shed blood

Context Sentences

トイレは使ったら水を流しましょう。

Flush the toilet after using it.

そうめんを竹に流して食べるのが「流しそうめん」です。

"Nagashi somen" is where you flow somen noodles through a bamboo tube and eat it.

毎日汗を流して働く労働者たちに感謝の気持ちもないのか?

Are you not even grateful to the workers who sweat and work every day?

Kanji Composition