Translation guide
Describes crying intensely, with many tears, often to the point of exhaustion. Japanese has several vivid expressions for this, ranging from common phrases to more dramatic or literary ones.
To express that someone is crying very hard, with a lot of tears, often uncontrollably.
A common and natural way to describe sobbing or crying uncontrollably, often with convulsive breaths. Suitable for both spoken and written Japanese.
She was crying her eyes out from sadness.
Means to wail or cry loudly, often used for intense public crying or in news reports. Slightly more formal than 泣きじゃくる.
He cried his eyes out at the movie's final scene.
Literally 'tears won't stop'. A natural way to say you can't stop crying, emphasizing the continuous flow of tears.
I was so moved I cried my eyes out.
To break down crying, often collapsing emotionally. Implies a loss of composure.
He cried his eyes out upon hearing the news.
A dramatic simile meaning 'tears flow like a waterfall'. Used in literature or emphatic speech.
I cried my eyes out, tears streaming like a waterfall.
To emphasize that crying has physically affected the eyes, making them red and puffy.
Literally 'cry until one's eyes swell'. A very common and natural expression for crying one's eyes out.
Yesterday I cried my eyes out until my eyes were swollen.
A verb meaning to cry one's eyes out, specifically resulting in swollen eyes. Often used in past tense.
泣きじゃくる focuses on the convulsive, sobbing action, often in private or personal contexts. 号泣する emphasizes loud wailing and is often used for public displays of emotion or in dramatic narratives.
Do not translate 'crying one's eyes out' literally as 目を泣き出す or similar. It will not be understood. Use the idiomatic expressions above.
She had cried her eyes out (and her eyes were swollen).