Today, we’ll explore the verb 「横切る」 (よこぎる, yokogiru), which means 'to cut across,' or 'to cross' We’ll examine its meanings, learn how to use it, create mnemonics by breaking down the kanji, practice with example sentences, and finally, understand what not to confuse it with.

「横切る」 means 'to cross' and 'to cut across' The focus is not about reaching another area but rather on the act or motion of crossing a space, often interrupting or moving against the flow, i.e. cutting across. It typically implies moving quickly past something.

猫が通りを横切った。

A cat ran across the street.

When the kanji are combined, they hopefully convey the idea of 'cutting by' and 'cutting across'. This can serve as a visual mnemonic when you come across this word in the wild.

空を横切る飛行機。

a plane cut across the sky.

道を横切らないで！

Don’t cut across the road!

猫がベッドを横切った。

The cat darted across the bed.

彼は川を横切った。

He crossed the river.

You may be aware of the JLPT N5 word 渡る (わたる)—wataru. It also has the meaning of 'to cross over; to go across​'. The difference and nuance between 横切る and 渡る might be tricky to grasp. Let’s break it down here.

渡る (わたる)

渡る means to cross over something, especially when you're moving between two defined areas. Think of crossing a bridge, road, or sea — you're going from one side to the other. It’s about purposefully reaching the other side of something. It has the feeling of being slower and proper in comparison to 横切る.

トンネルを渡ります。

I will cross the tunnel.

彼は海を渡った。

He crossed the sea.

When to use which?

When to use 渡る or 横切る is a tricky question. The rules we've established provide a good baseline, though in some situations, the words can sometimes be used interchangeably, or with a minor nuance. However, there are certain situations where it would feel unnatural to use the wrong one, which further helps our understanding of how to use them. For example:

横断歩道を渡る

Cross at the pedestrian crossing

「横断歩道」means 'pedestrian crossing' or 'crosswalk'. Crossing at one is is a purposeful act across the space between two defined areas (the sides of the street). So to cross in this situation is 渡る. It would feel wrong to use 横切る here because you're not cutting through using a pedestrian crossing, that's what they are designed for. Infact, in Japan, to cut across a street at an undesignated spot (i.e jaywalking), is a crime. A police officer may tell you:

ここを横切ってはいけません。

You can't cut across/jaywalk here.

Summary

In summary, use 渡る when emphasizing the transition between two defined points or the act of completing a crossing. Use 横切る when highlighting the action of crossing through an area, especially when it quickly intersects a natural direction or flow. However, as is often the case in Japanese, there are exceptions.

The kanji's「横」and「切」are also used in other common JLPT N3 words, such as:

• 横断 (おうだん) - crossing
• 裏切る (うらぎる) - to betray; to turn traitor
• 適切 (てきせつ) - appropriate; suitable
• 切れる (きれる) to breal; to snap
• 切れ (きれ) - piece; slice

And there you have it! With 横切る, you’ve crossed yet another word off your JLPT N3 study list. Happy learning!

Thank you to 鷲見幸美 (Sumi Yukimi) for publishing her insights on the differences between 渡る and 横切る.