逆らいます（さからいます、sakaraimasu）
- to go against

The Japanese verb 逆らいます 逆らいます means "to defy," "to go against," "to disobey," "to oppose," or "to resist." It implies a challenge to authority, a refusal to comply with rules or expectations, or an act of standing in opposition to someone or something. It can relate to various contexts, from personal relationships to broader societal issues. The core idea is to go against something or someone.

⚫︎ 先生の指示に逆らいました。 Translation: I disobeyed the teacher's instructions. ⚫︎ 彼は親の反対に逆らって、自分の夢を追いかけた。 Translation: He went against his parents' opposition and pursued his dream. ⚫︎ その法律は人々の意見に逆らっている。 Translation: That law goes against the people's opinion.

This verb is used in a variety of situations where there's a sense of opposing, defying, or resisting something or someone. You would use it when discussing: ⚫︎ Disobeying rules or authority figures. ⚫︎ Acting against someone's wishes. ⚫︎ Going against a current trend or opinion. ⚫︎ Resisting a force or obstacle. The choice of 逆らいます 逆らいます depends on the specific context and the type of opposition you want to convey.

The word is typically written in hiragana as さからいます. The kanji form is 逆らいます. The kanji 逆 means "reverse," "opposite," or "against". The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is usually います. There are no significant variations in the okurigana. The plain form of the verb is 逆らう. The negative form is 逆らいません. The past tense is 逆らいました 逆らいました.

⚫︎ 反抗します (han-kō shimasu): to rebel; to defy. This often carries a stronger sense of defiance. ⚫︎ 反対します (han-tai shimasu): to oppose; to object. This is more neutral and often used in debates or discussions. ⚫︎ 抵抗します (teikō shimasu): to resist; to oppose. This suggests a struggle or effort to fight against something. ⚫︎ 従いません (shitagaimasen): to not obey; to not follow. (Negative form of 従います, meaning "to obey".) These are similar in meaning, but have slightly different nuances and are used in different contexts.

⚫︎ 従います (shitagaimasu): to obey; to follow. ⚫︎ 賛成します (san-sei shimasu): to agree; to support. ⚫︎ 肯定します (kō-tei shimasu): to affirm; to approve. These words express the opposite actions, such as compliance, agreement, or approval instead of defiance.

彼は上司の命令に逆らい、自分の意見を主張した。 ・Translation: He defied his boss's orders and asserted his own opinion. ・Explanation: The sentence illustrates a direct act of defiance against authority.

嵐の強い風に逆らい、船はゆっくりと進んだ。 ・Translation: The ship slowly moved forward, battling against the strong winds of the storm. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 逆らいます to describe resisting a natural force.

The kanji 逆 means "reverse," "opposite," or "against". The verb stem 逆ら is combined with the verb ending います which is the polite form. Therefore, 逆らいます indicates a motion or action against something or someone, in a reverse direction, or opposite to the expected one. The verb combines the meaning of "against" with an action, which results in the meaning of "to defy," "to go against," or similar phrases.