Translation guide
The English word 'herald' can be a noun meaning a messenger or sign of something to come, or a verb meaning to announce or signal the approach of something. This guide covers both uses.
To refer to a person, event, or thing that indicates or foreshadows a future event or change.
The first robin is a herald of spring. · Dark clouds are a herald of the coming storm. · The invention was a herald of the digital age.
Common word for a sign, omen, or harbinger of something to come. Often used for both positive and negative events.
Swallows are a herald of spring.
This warmth might be a herald of a storm.
Literally 'forerunner', used for a person or thing that goes ahead or appears first, often in a pioneering sense. Can be used for signs or early indicators.
That flower is known as a herald of spring.
Sign, indication, or symptom. Often used for subtle or early signs of change, especially in abstract contexts.
There are heralds of autumn in the sky.
Literary or historical term for a person who proclaims or announces something officially. Rare in modern conversation.
The king's herald proclaimed the new law.
To describe an action or event that signals or announces that something is about to happen or arrive.
The invention heralded a new era of communication. · The distant thunder heralded the storm's approach. · The first flowers herald the coming of spring.
Common verb meaning 'to tell, inform, announce'. Often used in the pattern ～を告げる to mean 'herald' or 'announce the arrival of'.
The chirping of small birds heralded the arrival of spring.
General verb for 'to inform, let know, signal'. Can be used for heralding events, but less poetic than 告げる.
Fixed phrase meaning 'to herald the arrival of ~'. Very natural and common.
Means 'to be a herald/sign of ~'. Uses the noun 前触れ.
Verb form of 先触れ (advance notice, harbinger). Somewhat formal or literary.
前触れ is the most direct equivalent for 'herald' as a sign, often implying a clear indication. 兆し is more subtle, like a hint or symptom. 先駆け emphasizes being first or pioneering, and can refer to a person or thing that leads the way.
告げる is often used in literary or slightly poetic contexts to describe nature or time heralding something. In casual speech, 知らせる is more common for simply informing someone.
The sound of the bell heralded the new year.
その雲行きが嵐の接近を知らせていた。
The look of the clouds heralded the approach of a storm.
This warm wind heralds the arrival of spring.
This discovery heralded a new era.
The event heralded a transformation.