This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

職人たちははしごを昇ったり降りたりしていた。

Sentence Analyzer

職人たち はしご 昇っ たり 降り たり していた

English Translation

The workmen were climbing up and down the ladder.

Furigana

職人(しょくにん)たちははしごを(のぼ)ったり()りたりしていた。

Romanji

Shokunintachi wa hashigo o nobo tari ori tari shiteita.

Words

()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
梯子 (はしご、ていし、ハシゴ)
ladder; stairs; going to several places in succession (e.g. barhopping)
()
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
上る (のぼる)
to ascend; to go up; to climb; to ascend (as a natural process, e.g. the sun); to rise; to go to (the capital); to be promoted; to add up to; to advance (in price); to swim up (a river); to sail up; to come up (on the agenda)
たり (たり、だり)
-ing and -ing (e.g. "coming and going"); (used adverbially) doing such things as...; expresses a command; (after a noun) to be; indicates completion or continuation of an action
降りる (おりる)
to descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to come down; to alight (e.g. from bus); to get off; to disembark; to dismount; to step down; to retire; to give up; to quit; to be granted; to be issued; to be given; to form (of frost, dew, mist, etc.); to be passed (from the body; e.g. of a roundworm)
為る (する)
to do; to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into); to serve as; to act as; to work as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.); to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as; to decide on; to choose; to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.); to be (in a state, condition, etc.); to be worth; to cost; to pass (of time); to elapse; verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs"); creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go"); to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to

Kanji

Readings: ショク、 ソク
Meanings: post, employment, work
Readings: ジン、 ニン、 ひと、 -り、 -と
Meaning: person
Readings: ショウ、 のぼ.る
Meaning: rise up
Readings: コウ、 ゴ、 お.りる、 お.ろす、 ふ.る、 ふ.り、 くだ.る、 くだ.す
Meanings: descend, precipitate, fall, surrender