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泣きすがる (なきすがる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

泣なきすがる

な

き

す

が

る

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

cling tearfully to; cry and cling to

Describes a person, often a child or someone in distress, crying while holding onto another person tightly, usually seeking comfort or pleading.

子こどもが母はは親おやに泣なきすがった。
The child clung tearfully to his mother.
彼かの女じょは別わかれたくないと彼かれに泣なきすがった。
She cried and clung to him, saying she didn't want to break up.

Written forms

泣なきすがる
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling. The verb stem 泣き is written in kanji, and すがる is in kana.
泣なき縋すがるUsage100%
Uses the non-jōyō kanji 縋 for すがる. Rare in modern writing.
泣なき縋すがる
Variant with 縋がる. Rare and non-standard.
泣なき縋すがる
Abbreviated kanji form. Rare.
泣縋なきすがる
Abbreviated kanji form with 縋がる. Rare.

Kanji

泣cry, weep, moan
縋cling, hang on, depend

Similar words

すがる
Means 'to cling to' or 'to rely on' without the crying element. 泣きすがる adds the nuance of doing so while crying.
泣なきつく
Means 'to cry and appeal to someone for help' or 'to throw oneself on someone's mercy.' It focuses more on the act of pleading, while 泣きすがる emphasizes physical clinging.

Etymology

Compound of 泣き (naki, 'crying', the continuative form of 泣く) + すがる (sugaru, 'to cling to').