Translation guide
Describes loud, prolonged cries expressing grief, pain, or distress. Japanese has distinct words for human wailing, crying, and animal howling.
To express a person wailing loudly, often in mourning or extreme distress.
Loud, uncontrollable crying; often used for public displays of grief or emotional breakdowns.
She wailed at the funeral.
To cry and shout at the same time; conveys a sense of screaming through tears, often in panic or intense pain.
The child wailed for help.
Deep, heart-wrenching wailing; a literary term for profound grief, often used in written or formal contexts.
Upon hearing of his death, she wailed in anguish.
To cry loudly; a straightforward, neutral description of wailing without strong emotional nuance.
The baby is wailing loudly.
To describe the long, mournful cry of an animal.
To describe a high-pitched, prolonged sound resembling a wail.
号泣 (gōkyū) implies loud, uncontrollable wailing, while 泣く (naku) is the general verb for crying, which can range from silent tears to sobbing. Use 号泣 when the volume and intensity are key.
She cried quietly.
She wailed.
English often uses 'wailing' for wind, but Japanese typically uses 轟音 (gōon) or うなり (unari) rather than a direct crying metaphor. Using 泣く for wind sounds unnatural.
The wind is howling/wailing.
傷ついた動物の鳴き声が響いた。
The wailing of the injured animal echoed.
The wailing of sirens could be heard in the distance.