子こ守もり歌うた

こ

も

り

う

た

Meanings

1

lullaby

A song sung to soothe a child to sleep.

母ははは赤あかちゃんに子こ守もり歌うたを歌うたって聞きかせた。
The mother sang a lullaby to her baby.
この子こ守もり歌うたは昔むかしから伝つたわるものです。
This lullaby has been passed down since old times.

See all 13 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に子こ守もり歌うたを歌うたうto sing a lullaby to someone
母ははは赤あかちゃんに子こ守もり歌うたを歌うたってあげた。
The mother sang a lullaby to her baby.
子こ守もり歌うたを聞きかせるto play/sing a lullaby for someone to hear
夜よるになると子こ守もり歌うたを聞きかせて子こどもを寝ねかせる。
At night, they play a lullaby to get the child to sleep.
子こ守もり歌うた代がわりに〈物もの〉を聴きかせるto play something as a substitute for a lullaby
子こ守もり歌うた代がわりにオルゴールの音おん楽がくを聴きかせている。
We play music box tunes as a lullaby substitute.

Kanji

子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM
守guard, protect, defend
唄song, ballad
歌song, sing

Related words

ララバイ
子守唄 is the native Japanese word for a lullaby and is used in everyday speech, while ララバイ is an English loanword with a more modern or poetic, musical feel.

Don't confuse with

童どう謡よう
子守歌 is specifically a song sung to lull a child to sleep, while 童謡 is a broader term for children's songs meant for singing or play, not necessarily for sleep.

Counted with

首しゅ
子守歌 is traditionally counted with 首, the counter used for songs and poems, though in casual speech people often just say 一曲.

Written forms

子こ守もり歌うた
Common kanji spelling; 子守唄 is also widely used.
子こ守もり唄うた
Common kanji spelling; 唄 explicitly marks the song aspect.

Etymology

Formed from 子守, “looking after a child,” and 歌, “song.” The second element retains its unvoiced reading うた.