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冴える (さえる, saeru) Japanese meaning: clear | Kotomora
Common word› JLPT N1 › Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation 冴える · ichidan verb
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 冴さ える 冴さ えない Polite 冴さ えます 冴さ えません Past polite 冴さ えました 冴さ えませんでした Past 冴さ えた 冴さ えなかった Te-form 冴さ えて 冴さ えないで Desire 冴さ えたい 冴さ えたくない Potential 冴さ えられる also 冴さ えれる 冴さ えられない also 冴さ えれない Passive 冴さ えられる 冴さ えられない Causative 冴さ えさせる 冴さ えさせない Causative passive 冴さ えさせられる 冴さ えさせられない Volitional 冴さ えよう Polite volitional 冴さ えましょう Imperative 冴さ えろ 冴さ えるな Conditional 冴さ えれば 冴さ えなければ Tara conditional 冴さ えたら 冴さ えなかったら
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Meanings Jump to a sense… 1. clear; bright; vivid; crisp 2. clear-headed; alert; sharp 3. upbeat; cheerful; satisfying 4. excel at; master; execute cleanly 5. become frigid; become intensely cold Report an issue with this page
空くう 気き が 冴さ え て い て 、 遠とお く の 山やま が よく 見み える 。
The air is clear, and I can see the distant mountains well.
Her voice was very clear and resonated throughout the hall.
Usage patterns 頭あたま が 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 for one's mind to become clear/sharp
After drinking coffee, my mind became sharp and alert.
腕うで が 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 for one's skill to shine/be executed flawlessly
His cooking skill is truly masterful.
冴さ えた 〈 物もの 〉 a crisp/vivid ~ (color, sound, sky, etc.)
A crisp, clear blue sky stretched out overhead.
Expressions 冴さ えない dull; dreary; sullen; depressed · dissatisfying; disappointing; lackluster; inadequate · unattractive; unappealing · boring; uninteresting 目め が 冴さ える be wide-awake; be unable to sleep 冴さ え 冴ざ えした cheerful (look); healthy (complexion) 冴さ え 冴ざ えとした cheerful (look); healthy (complexion) Kanji 冱 freeze, be cold, be clear Related words 鮮やか is an adjective describing vivid, brilliant colors or skillful technique, while 冴える is a verb that conveys the same idea of sharp clarity through a state-change nuance.
澄む focuses on clarity of sound, water, or air becoming clear, whereas 冴える covers a broader range of sensory sharpness including light and color.
鋭い is an adjective meaning sharp or keen (as in intellect or senses), while 冴える is a verb describing the state of becoming or being mentally sharp.
際立つ means to stand out or be conspicuous, close to 冴える's sense of a skill or performance being sharply excellent.
冴える describes a voice, sound, or mind being sharp and vivid, while 透き通る specifically emphasizes pure, ringing clarity of tone.
Opposites 鈍る means to become dull or blunt, the opposite of 冴える's sense of becoming sharp or clear-headed.
ぼやける describes something becoming blurry or fuzzy, the opposite of 冴える's sense of becoming vivid and clear.
冴える means to be sharp, clear, or brilliant (in mind, skill, or appearance), the direct opposite of the dullness expressed by 冴えない.
Don't confuse with 冷える is the common everyday verb for something becoming cold, while 冴える's cold-related sense is archaic and specifically describes a piercing, sharp cold.
覚める means to wake up or become conscious, which learners can confuse with 冴える's sense of the mind becoming sharp and alert.
冴える alone means 'to be clear, sharp, or skilled,' while 目が冴える is a fixed idiom specifically describing being too alert to sleep.
Word family· 8 clarity; sharpness; lucidity · skillfulness; adeptness; brilliance
clearly; brightly; freshly
clear; distinct; sharp · skillful; deft; well-executed · get cold; freeze over
clear gradually; get cold gradually
Written forms 冴さ える Usage 64%
さえる Usage 36%
冱さ える
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
Etymology Originally meant 'to become clear/cold' (as of weather or air). The modern senses of mental clarity and skill sharpness developed metaphorically from the idea of crisp, clear air.
shine clearly; shine brilliantly
