踊り

おどり

dance

JLPT N4

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"踊り" (おどり) means "dance" and refers to the act or art of dancing. It is a noun commonly used in everyday conversation and cultural contexts.

Common Contexts

You will often hear "踊り" in relation to festivals, traditional performances, and social dancing. For example, "夏祭りの踊り" (summer festival dance) or "日本の伝統的な踊り" (traditional Japanese dance).

Collocations and Patterns

  • 踊りを楽しむ: to enjoy dancing, used when talking about having fun dancing.
  • 踊りを習う: to learn dance, common when discussing dance lessons.
  • 踊りながら: while dancing, used to describe doing something simultaneously with dancing.

Register and Nuance

"踊り" is neutral and polite enough for everyday use. It is not overly formal but appropriate in both casual and semi-formal contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse "踊り" with the verb "踊る" (おどる), which means "to dance." Remember that "踊り" is the noun form, so it is used when referring to the dance itself, not the action of dancing.

Example Sentences

なつまつりでみんながおどりをたのしんでいます。

Everyone is enjoying dancing at the summer festival.

かのじょはでんとうてきなにほんのおどりをならっています。

She is learning traditional Japanese dance.

おどりながらうたうのはむずかしいです。

Singing while dancing is difficult.