What does 泣 mean in Japanese?
泣 means to cry or weep. The kun’yomi 泣く (naku) is the standard everyday verb for human crying — shedding tears in response to sadness, emotion, or pain. It is one of the first emotion verbs learners need at N4, forming a natural pair with 笑う (to laugh) and 怒る (to get angry).
A critical reading trap: 泣く (naku, to cry — 泣) and 鳴く (naku, to make a sound — 鳴) are pronounced identically but written with completely different kanji. 泣 is used for human emotional crying; 鳴 is used for the sounds made by animals, birds, and insects. In writing, the kanji makes the distinction immediate.
Reading
On’yomi: キュウ (kyuu)
Kun’yomi: な-く (na-ku)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 泣 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | cry, weep |
| Stroke Count | 8 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
泣く covers the full range of crying — a quiet tear to loud sobbing. 号泣 (goukyuu) is more intense: uncontrollable, heavy crying. 泣き声 (nakigoe) is the audible sound of crying — the voice that accompanies tears. It can describe a baby’s cry, a child’s wail, or a person’s weeping in general. 泣き止む (nakiyamu) means the crying stops: 赤ちゃんが泣き止んだ (the baby finally stopped crying). 泣き顔 (nakigao) is a tear-stained face — either seen on someone else or as a self-description of how you looked.
Common Words
- 泣く（なく / naku） — to cry, to weep
- 泣き声（なきごえ / nakigoe） — sound of crying, a cry
- 号泣（ごうきゅう / goukyuu） — sobbing, crying one’s heart out
- 泣き止む（なきやむ / nakiyamu） — to stop crying
- 泣き顔（なきがお / nakigao） — tear-stained face, crying face
- 泣き言（なきごと / nakigoto） — complaint, self-pitying whining
Example Sentences
-
映画を見て泣いてしまいました。
えいがをみてないてしまいました。 / Eiga o mite naite shimaimashita.
I ended up crying while watching the film.
-
赤ちゃんが泣き止みません。
あかちゃんがなきやみません。 / Akachan ga nakiyamimasen.
The baby won’t stop crying.
-
泣きながら謝りました。
なきながらあやまりました。 / Nakinagara ayamarimashita.
I apologized while crying.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
The 泣く / 鳴く homophone pair is the single most important learning point for this kanji. Both read なく:
– 泣く (泣, cry): 子供が泣く (the child cries), 映画を見て泣く (cry while watching a film)
– 鳴く (鳴, make a sound): 犬が鳴く (the dog barks/yelps), 鳥が鳴く (the bird sings/calls), 虫が鳴く (the insect chirps)
In speech, context is usually enough to tell them apart. In writing, always choose the correct kanji.
泣く is the standard word for human emotional crying — reactions involving tears or distress. For the everyday sounds made by animals, birds, and insects, 鳴く is the correct and natural choice. In stories or anthropomorphic writing, animals may occasionally be described with 泣く to convey a human-like emotional quality — but for ordinary animal sounds, 鳴く is always the safe and natural choice.
号泣 (goukyuu) = 号 (cry out / howl) + 泣 (cry). It describes loud, heavy, uncontrollable sobbing — the kind where speech is difficult. 号泣する (to sob heavily) is used in news reports, social media reactions, and dramatic descriptions. 号泣した (I sobbed / they sobbed) is a common expression in reviews of emotional films.
泣き言 (nakigoto, complaint / whining) = 泣く + 言 (word/speech). 泣き言を言う (to whine, to complain in a self-pitying way). This compound carries a slightly negative nuance — the kind of complaint where you are feeling sorry for yourself rather than seeking practical help.
Summary
泣 means to cry or weep. The essential learning point is 泣く (human emotional crying) vs 鳴く (animal/bird/insect sounds) — same pronunciation, different kanji. 号泣 (heavy sobbing) and 泣き声 (sound of crying) are the most useful compounds at N4.