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Kotomora

嘆

sigh, lament, moan, grieve, sigh of admiration

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes13

Readings

On'yomi

  • タン

Kun'yomi

  • なげ.く
  • なげ.かわしい

Meaning

嘆 centers on an audible expression of deep emotion: sighing, lamenting, moaning, or grieving. The sigh of admiration is a natural extension where the emotion is awe rather than sorrow.

Most common words using 嘆

20 of 41
  • 嘆くなげく
    N2

    to lament; to grieve; to regret

  • 嘆きなげき
    N1

    grief; lamentation

  • 嘆願たんがん

    entreaty; appeal; petition

  • 感嘆かんたん
    N1

    admiration; wonder; astonishment

  • 驚嘆きょうたん

    wonder; admiration; being struck with admiration

  • 嘆かわしいなげかわしい

    lamentable; deplorable; regrettable; sad; wretched

  • 悲嘆ひたん

    grief; sorrow; anguish; lamentation

  • 嘆息たんそく

    sigh (of grief, disappointment, etc.); grieving; lamenting; deploring

  • 嘆たん
    N1

    sigh

  • 一唱三嘆いっしょうさんたん

    one reading (of a poem aloud) leaves one with ceaseless sighs of admiration

  • 一読三嘆いちどくさんたん

    a reading leaves one with ceaseless sighs of admiration

  • 三嘆さんたん

    deep admiration

  • 亡羊の嘆ぼうようのたん

    bemoaning the frustration of reaching truth (for surplus of academic paths); being at a loss

  • 傷嘆しょうたん

    crying in pain

  • 哀訴嘆願あいそたんがん

    plea; entreaty; supplication

  • 嗟嘆さたん

    lamentation; deploring

  • 嘆きの壁なげきのかべ

    Wailing Wall (Jerusalem); Western Wall

  • 嘆き悲しむなげきかなしむ

    to grieve and moan

  • 嘆き暮らすなげきくらす

    to spend one's days in grief; to grieve away one's days; to grieve all day

  • 嘆じるたんじる

    to grieve; to lament; to deplore

Explore all words using 嘆 →

Study

Etymology

嘆 combines 口 (mouth) with a phonetic component historically derived from 漢 or a related form, suggesting a sound made with the mouth. The exact development of the right side is uncertain, but the character is understood as a phono-semantic compound where 口 indicates the action and the right side contributes the sound.

Meaning mnemonic

The left side is a mouth 口, and the right side looks like a person 夫 under a plant 艹 with something in between. Imagine a person sighing loudly into the plants, their mouth open in lament.

Reading mnemonic

For タン, picture a tan-colored autumn leaf falling as you sigh: tan -> タン, and the sigh escapes your mouth 口.