swim

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 泳 has 8 strokes and denotes swimming through water.
• Basic usage: 泳ぐ is read およぐ, and 水泳 is read すいえい.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An action and the name of an activity
  • プールで泳ぐ describes the action of swimming in a pool.
  • 水泳の基礎 refers to the basics of the activity of swimming.
• Conjugation and the space crossed
  • 泳いでいた changes the ending of 泳ぐ to いで to describe ongoing swimming in the past.
  • を in 透き通った水を泳いでいた marks the space the fish move through, rather than making the water an object acted upon.