斜め

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 斜め (ななめ) means a slanted state or a diagonal direction. Both examples use 斜めに, but one marks state and the other manner of movement.
• Basic usage: A picture frame has become crooked; a person crosses a square diagonally.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Slanted condition and diagonal path
  • 斜めになっていた describes an object's orientation; 斜めに横切る describes a route. Identify the predicate modified by the same adverbial form.