The Meaning of meguru [巡る] In Japanese

巡る
めぐる
Romaji: meguru N4

What does 巡る mean?

Translation and Meaning

go around, circulate, circle, tour, patrol, revolve

Definition

Meguru means to go around or pass through an area in a loop, visiting places in sequence; it also covers circulating or revolving around a topic or issue.

Type

verb (godan)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • to visit places in sequence or on a circuit
  • to circulate or be circulated, such as information or rumors
  • to revolve around a topic or issue in discussion

Etymology

めぐる is the native kun’yomi reading of 巡, a verb formed through regular kana development without loanword influence, illustrating a typical phonetic adaptation from classical usage.

Origin

Historically attested in classical Japanese, 巡る describes circuits, pilgrimages, and moving along a loop; it has long been used in travel writing, religious contexts, and discourse about patterns or rounds.

Composition

  • 巡: to patrol, go around;
  • る: verb-ending that marks the dictionary form
  • Together they form 巡る, meaning to go around or visit in sequence

Usage

Used in both spoken and written Japanese, 巡る appears in casual conversation and formal prose. It describes literal movement around places or a sequence of visits, and can indicate that something circulates or concerns a topic when used with phrases like をめぐる; common companions include 寺, 都市, and 話題, with usage in verbs and compound expressions in everyday and literary contexts.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a circular patrol route where 巡 literally signals going around, and the る ending marks the action; imagine circling landmarks as you say meguru in your mind.

Variations

  • 回る, mawaru — go around
  • 循環する, junkan suru — circulate
  • 話題を巡る, wadai o meguru — revolve around a topic
  • 巡回する, junkai suru — go on rounds (patrol)

Words with the same Meaning

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 名所を 友達と 一緒に 巡る 予定です。
    Kyou wa meisho o tomodachi to issho ni meguru yotei desu.
    Today I’m planning to tour famous spots with my friends.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 名所を (meisho o) – to the famous spots
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – with friends
    • 一緒に (issho ni) – together
    • 巡る (meguru) – to tour
    • 予定です (yotei desu) – it’s planned
    The key point is that 「名所」 is the object of 巡る, meaning ‘famous places’.
  • 友人と町を巡る休日を楽しんだ。
    Yūjin to machi o meguru kyūjitsu o tanoshinda.
    I enjoyed a day off touring around town with a friend.
    Lista:
    • 友人と (yūjin to) – with a friend
    • 町を (machi o) – the town
    • 巡る (meguru) – to go around / tour
    • 休日を (kyūjitsu o) – a day off
    • 楽しんだ (tanoshinda) – enjoyed
    The phrase 「町を巡る」 uses を with 巡る to mark the direct object of ‘to go around / tour’; here it means ‘to tour around the town’.
巡る