Translation guide
Expressing the act of shedding tears, often due to emotion. Japanese distinguishes between the physical act, the sound, and the emotional state, with different words for sobbing, weeping, and crying loudly.
To describe someone crying, with tears flowing, in a neutral or emotional sense.
The most common and general verb for 'to cry'. Covers everything from silent tears to sobbing. Can be used for sadness, joy, or other emotions.
彼女は悲しくて泣いた。
She cried because she was sad.
赤ちゃんが泣いている。
The baby is crying.
Literally 'tears come out'. Focuses on the physical tears rather than the act of crying. Often used when tears well up involuntarily.
感動して涙が出た。
I was so moved that tears came to my eyes.
Literally 'to shed tears'. A slightly more literary or formal expression for crying.
彼は静かに涙を流した。
He quietly shed tears.
To describe crying with audible sobs or weeping sounds.
To sob or weep quietly, often with sniffles. Implies a subdued, sorrowful crying.
彼女は部屋の隅ですすり泣いていた。
She was sobbing in the corner of the room.
To cry uncontrollably with convulsive sobs, often used for children or intense grief.
To weep with a choked voice, often in deep sorrow. A literary or dramatic term.
To describe loud crying, often with shouting or wailing.
To cry and shout at the same time, often in distress or anger. Common for children or intense emotional outbursts.
子供が泣き叫んで駄々をこねた。
The child cried and screamed, throwing a tantrum.
To wail or cry loudly, often in a dramatic or public display of grief. Can be used for both genuine and exaggerated crying.
彼女は葬式で号泣した。
She wailed loudly at the funeral.
Onomatopoeic expression for crying loudly, like a child bawling. 'Wanwan' mimics the sound of loud crying.
赤ちゃんがわんわん泣いて大変だ。
The baby is bawling and it's tough.
To describe a state where tears are welling up but not necessarily falling, or eyes are moist.
To be moved to tears, with eyes welling up. Often used for touching moments.
その話を聞いて涙ぐんだ。
I got teary-eyed hearing that story.
Describes eyes becoming moist or glistening with tears. 'Uruuru' is an onomatopoeia for teary eyes.
感動して目がうるうるした。
I was so moved my eyes got teary.
To be about to cry, on the verge of tears. A straightforward phrase.
叱られて泣きそうになった。
I was scolded and almost cried.
To describe tears caused by physical stimuli like pain, onions, or wind.
Used for involuntary tears from physical causes. The same phrase as emotional tears, but context clarifies.
玉ねぎを切ると涙が出る。
Cutting onions makes my eyes water.
目にゴミが入って涙が出た。
Something got in my eye and tears came out.
Literally 'to cry because eyes hurt'. Used when pain directly causes crying.
目が痛くて泣いてしまった。
My eyes hurt so much I cried.
泣く (naku) is the general verb for crying, implying the act and often the emotion. 涙が出る (namida ga deru) focuses on the physical tears, and can be used for both emotional and non-emotional tears (like from onions). Use 泣く when you want to emphasize the emotional act of crying.
In English, 'cry' can mean shouting or animal calls. In Japanese, 泣く is only for shedding tears. For shouting, use 叫ぶ (sakebu); for animal cries, use 鳴く (naku) for most animals, or specific verbs like 吠える (hoeru) for dogs.
子供は泣きじゃくって話せなかった。
The child was sobbing so hard they couldn't speak.
彼はむせび泣きながら別れを告げた。
He said goodbye while weeping with a choked voice.