I like to learn common words and phrases whenever I learn a new kanji, to get a better idea of its range of meanings.
I asked Claude AI to give me a hand with this. My first prompt was simply “Please create a list of common words and phrases to illustrate the range of meanings of the following Japanese kanji: 従・沿・伴”
Well, one thing led to another, and by the time I had finished chatting with Claude about all the different kanji that might be translated as ‘follow’ in English, he got carried away and created the following document for me (sorry, this is ridiculously long, but I’ve pasted it here in its entirety because Claude is so good at this that I just had to share):
Japanese Kanji Word Lists
Eight ways to say ‘Follow’
従 沿 伴 継 追 倣 続 付
The English word follow is not one concept but a loose family of metaphors radiating out from a core physical image of one thing moving behind another. Japanese distributes this work across eight distinct words, each capturing a different shade of meaning that a single English gloss completely hides.
Summary
| English sense | Japanese | Reading | Core kanji |
|---|---|---|---|
| follow a rule / obey | 従う | したがう | 従, 从 |
| follow a road / river | 沿う | そう | 沿 |
| follow / accompany | 伴う | ともなう | 伴 |
| follow in succession | 継ぐ | つぐ | 継 |
| follow a story / track | 追う | おう | 追 |
| follow an example / emulate | 倣う | ならう | 倣 |
| follow sequentially / continue | 続く | つづく | 続 |
| follow physically / keep up | ついていく | ついていく | 付 |
The sections below examine each kanji in detail, with vocabulary families, collocations, and usage notes.
従 — following in the sense of obeying, complying, or being subordinate
従う （したがう） (vi) to obey, to comply with, to follow (instructions, rules, a person)
従者 （じゅうしゃ） (n) attendant, retainer, follower
従来 （じゅうらい） (n, adv) up to now, conventional, traditional (“following from before”)
従業員 （じゅうぎょういん） (n) employee, worker
服従 （ふくじゅう） (n, vs) submission, obedience, subjugation
主従 （しゅじゅう） (n) master and servant (literally: primary and subordinate)
盲従 （もうじゅう） (n, vs) blind obedience
従軍 （じゅうぐん） (n, vs) military service, serving in a war
Collocations and set phrases
に従って （にしたがって） following ~, in accordance with ~, as ~ progresses
e.g. 規則に従って行動する “to act in accordance with the rules”
に従い （にしたがい） following ~, in accordance with ~ (formal written variant)
e.g. 時代の変化に従い、方針を見直す “to review policy in line with changes in the times”
従って （したがって） therefore, consequently (conjunctive — note: no に)
e.g. 証拠がない。従って、結論は出せない。 “There is no evidence. Therefore, no conclusion can be drawn.”
Core idea: subordination or compliance — following someone’s lead or authority, or being secondary to something primary. Italian: seguire, obbedire, sottomettersi Note the trap: に従って (following a rule) and 従って (therefore) look almost identical but function very differently. The conjunctive 従って draws a logical conclusion and takes no に.
沿 — following in the sense of running along a physical path or line
沿う （そう） (vi) to run along, to follow (a road, river, coastline)
沿線 （えんせん） (n) along a railway line (e.g. 沿線の駅 — stations along the line)
沿岸 （えんがん） (n) coast, shore, coastal area
沿道 （えんどう） (n) roadside, the route along a road
川沿い （かわぞい） (n) along a river, riverside
海岸沿い （かいがんぞい） (n) along the coastline
沿革 （えんかく） (n) history and development of an institution (its path through time)
Collocations and set phrases
に沿って （にそって） along ~, following the line of ~
e.g. 川に沿って歩く “to walk along the river”
に沿った （にそった） running along ~, in keeping with ~ (attributive form)
e.g. 計画に沿った進め方 “a way of proceeding in line with the plan”
に沿う （にそう） to follow ~, to conform to ~ (plain form, predicative)
e.g. 方針に沿う対応 “a response that follows the policy”
Core idea: almost always spatial or linear — tracing a route, edge, or line. 沿革 is the one interesting exception, where the ‘path’ is temporal rather than physical. Italian: lungo, costeggiare
伴 — following in the sense of accompanying or going together with
伴う （ともなう） (vt) to accompany; to involve, to entail (e.g. リスクを伴う — to involve risk)
伴奏 （ばんそう） (n, vs) musical accompaniment
同伴 （どうはん） (n, vs) going together, being accompanied by someone
伴侶 （はんりょ） (n) companion, life partner, spouse
相伴 （しょうばん） (n, vs) sharing a meal or occasion; joining another’s party
お供 （おとも） (n, vs) attendant, companion (humble/formal register)
Collocations and set phrases
を伴って （をともなって） accompanied by ~, together with ~, involving ~
e.g. リスクを伴って進む “to proceed at the cost of risk”
を伴った （をともなった） accompanied by ~, that involves ~ (attributive form)
e.g. 痛みを伴った回復 “a recovery involving pain”
に伴って （にともなって） along with ~, as ~ happens (cause and consequence)
e.g. 高齢化に伴って、医療費が増加する “Medical costs increase along with an ageing population”
に伴い （にともない） as ~ happens, in conjunction with ~ (formal written variant)
e.g. 改定に伴い、料金が変わります “Prices will change in conjunction with the revision”
Core idea: togetherness — two things or people going together, often as equals or in a supporting role. 伴奏 is particularly elegant: the accompaniment walks alongside the melody without overshadowing it. Note the distinction: を伴って marks what comes along as a companion or cost; に伴って is causal — a consequence that follows from something. Italian: accompagnare, essere accompagnato da
継 — following in the sense of succession — receiving and continuing what was handed down
継ぐ （つぐ） (vt) to succeed to, to inherit (a role, title, business, tradition)
跡を継ぐ （あとをつぐ） (vt) to follow in someone’s footsteps, to succeed someone
後を継ぐ （あとをつぐ） (vt) to take over from someone, to carry on after them
継続 （けいぞく） (n, vs) continuation, continuity
後継者 （こうけいしゃ） (n) successor, heir
継承 （けいしょう） (n, vs) succession, inheritance (of a title, position, or tradition)
引き継ぐ （ひきつぐ） (vt) to take over from someone, to hand over
中継 （ちゅうけい） (n, vs) relay, live broadcast (literally: continuing in the middle)
継母 （ままはは） (n) stepmother (one who continues in the mother’s role)
Collocations and set phrases
跡を継ぐ （あとをつぐ） to follow in someone’s footsteps, to succeed them
e.g. 父の跡を継いで医者になった “He followed in his father’s footsteps and became a doctor”
を引き継ぐ （をひきつぐ） to take over ~, to inherit responsibility for ~
e.g. 前任者のプロジェクトを引き継ぐ “to take over the previous person’s project”
Core idea: receiving something from a predecessor and carrying it forward. The image in 跡を継ぐ is particularly beautiful — 跡 means footprint or trace left behind, so you are literally stepping into the marks left by the person before you. Italian: succedere a, ereditare
追 — following in the sense of tracking, monitoring, or pursuing
追う （おう） (vt) to chase, to follow, to track, to pursue
追跡 （ついせき） (n, vs) pursuit, tracking, following up (a story, a suspect)
追及 （ついきゅう） (n, vs) pressing someone hard (in questioning); pursuing a problem to its root
追加 （ついか） (n, vs) addition, supplement (literally: chasing and adding)
追悼 （ついとう） (n, vs) mourning, memorial (following the deceased in spirit)
追い越す （おいこす） (vt) to overtake, to pass
追い求める （おいもとめる） (vt) to pursue, to seek after
追い風 （おいかぜ） (n) tailwind (a wind that follows and helps you along)
追い詰める （おいつめる） (vt) to corner, to drive into a dead end
Collocations and set phrases
ニュースを追う （ニュースをおう） to follow the news, to track a news story
動向を追う （どうこうをおう） to follow / monitor developments
e.g. 事態の動向を追っている “we are following how the situation develops”
を追って （をおって） following ~, in the wake of ~ (formal written use)
e.g. 後日追ってご連絡します “We will contact you in due course”
Core idea: chasing or pursuing something that is moving ahead of you. There is a faint suggestion of effort and urgency — you are running to keep up with something that keeps moving. Italian: inseguire, seguire (una notizia), tenere d’occhio
倣 — following in the sense of emulating or taking as a model
倣う （ならう） (vi) to follow an example, to model oneself on, to do likewise
見倣う （みならう） (vt) to follow someone’s example, to learn by watching and imitating
右へ倣え （みぎへならえ） (set phrase) eyes right! (military); by extension: mindless conformity, following the crowd
Collocations and set phrases
に倣って （にならって） following the example of ~, modelling oneself on ~
e.g. 先輩の行動に倣って振る舞う “to conduct oneself following the example of one’s seniors”
慣例に倣う （かんれいにならう） to follow established custom, to do as is customary
先例に倣う （せんれいにならう） to follow precedent
見倣う （みならう） to learn by observation and imitation
e.g. 優れたリーダーを見倣う “to model oneself on an excellent leader”
Core idea: voluntarily modelling yourself on something admirable. Subtly different from 従う, where you obey an authority — with 倣う you choose to emulate. Note: 倣う and 習う (to learn, to take lessons) are homophones (both ならう) and historically related — learning, at its root, is modelling yourself on someone who already knows. Italian: imitare, prendere come modello
続 — following in the sense of coming next in sequence or continuing
続く （つづく） (vi) to continue, to follow on, to come next, to last
続ける （つづける） (vt) to continue something, to keep doing
連続 （れんぞく） (n, vs) series, succession, consecutive sequence
継続 （けいぞく） (n, vs) continuation (note: this kanji overlaps with 継 above)
続き （つづき） (n) continuation, sequel, what follows
手続き （てつづき） (n) procedure, formalities (steps that follow in sequence)
相次ぐ （あいつぐ） (vi) to follow one after another, to occur in rapid succession
Collocations and set phrases
続いて （つづいて） next, following (discourse connector, e.g. in news broadcasts)
e.g. 続いてスポーツのニュースです “Next, here is the sports news”
に続く （につづく） to follow ~, to come after ~
e.g. 大雨に続く洪水 “flooding that follows heavy rain”
以下に続く （いかにつづく） continued below, to be continued
Core idea: sequential continuation — one thing coming after another in an ordered series. Italian: continuare, seguire (nel senso di ‘venire dopo’)
付 ついていく — following in the literal physical sense, or keeping up
ついていく （ついていく） (vi) to follow (someone), to go along with, to tag along
ついてくる （ついてくる） (vi) to follow (someone) here / towards the speaker
付く （つく） (vi) to become attached to, to accompany, to come with
付き添う （つきそう） (vi) to attend, to accompany as a carer or escort
追いつく （おいつく） (vi) to catch up with, to keep up with
付き合う （つきあう） (vi) to associate with, to keep company with, to go along with (socially)
Collocations and set phrases
についていく （についていく） to follow along with ~, to keep up with ~
e.g. 先生の説明についていけない “I can’t follow the teacher’s explanation”
付いてくる （ついてくる） to tag along, to follow someone here
e.g. 犬がどこへ行っても付いてくる “The dog follows me wherever I go”
付き添う （つきそう） to accompany as a companion or carer
e.g. 入院中の母に付き添う “to stay with one’s hospitalised mother”
Core idea: physical proximity and movement — going where someone else goes, or keeping pace with something. The metaphorical extension to intellectual ‘keeping up’ (先生についていけない) is very natural and common. Note: ついていく is written in hiragana as often as in kanji (付いていく), especially in everyday usage. Italian: seguire (fisicamente), stare dietro a, tenere il passo
フォロー — the modern loanword
フォローする (vt) to follow (on social media); also: to cover for someone, to support
フォロワー (n) follower (social media)
フォロー アップ (n, vs) follow-up
アンフォロー (n, vs) to unfollow
An interesting case of a loanword filling a gap that native vocabulary did not quite cover in the digital age. Note that フォローする has also acquired a distinctly Japanese colloquial sense beyond social media: to smooth things over, to cover for someone’s mistake, to provide support. This second meaning has no direct English equivalent.
A closing reflection
The network of these eight kanji — plus the borrowed フォロー — reveals something that the single English gloss ‘to follow’ completely conceals: that human beings have found it necessary to mark, with distinct words, the difference between obeying an authority, tracing a riverbank, walking beside a friend, inheriting a tradition, chasing a story, imitating a hero, continuing a sequence, and tagging along behind someone. These are not the same experience, and Japanese refuses to pretend that they are.