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.
彼女は葬式で号泣した。
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.
子供が泣き叫んで助けを求めた。
The child wailed for help.
Deep, heart-wrenching wailing; a literary term for profound grief, often used in written or formal contexts.
彼の死を聞いて、彼女は慟哭した。
Upon hearing of his death, she wailed in anguish.
To cry loudly; a straightforward, neutral description of wailing without strong emotional nuance.
赤ちゃんが大声で泣いている。
The baby is wailing loudly.
To describe the long, mournful cry of an animal.
Howling, especially of dogs or wolves; often associated with a long, drawn-out sound.
夜に犬の遠吠えが聞こえた。
I heard a dog wailing in the night.
General term for an animal's cry; can be used for wailing sounds when context implies distress.
To describe a high-pitched, prolonged sound resembling a wail.
A roaring or booming sound; can be used for the wailing of strong wind or machinery.
風の轟音が一晩中続いた。
The wailing of the wind continued all night.
Siren sound; commonly used for ambulance or police sirens that wail.
遠くでサイレンの音が泣き叫ぶように聞こえた。
The wailing of sirens could be heard in the distance.
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.
彼女は静かに泣いた。
She cried quietly.
彼女は号泣した。
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.
風がうなっている。
The wind is howling/wailing.
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.