1
verb[I]; godan verb ending in -く
to cry; to weep; to shed tears because of sadness, pain, joy, or strong emotion
naku
Pronunciation
Etymology
Native Japanese verb attested since Old Japanese; distinct in writing and meaning from the homophonous 鳴く, “to make an animal sound.”
Examples
赤ちゃんが泣いている。
akachan ga naite iru.
The baby is crying.
悲しくて泣いた。
kanashikute naita.
I cried because I was sad.
彼女はうれしくて泣いた。
kanojo wa ureshikute naita.
She cried with joy.
Character Breakdown
泣
naku
to cry; tears
く
ku
hiragana okurigana forming the verb ending
Collocations
声を上げて泣く
わんわん泣く
しくしく泣く
悔しくて泣く
泣きながら話す
AI Generated