“To cry” in Japanese is 泣く (なく), pronounced naku.
Pronunciation
The word has 2 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
To cry. Animals “crying” (making sounds) uses the same sound with the kanji 鳴く.
Example sentences
- 赤ちゃんが泣いています。あかちゃんがないています。The baby is crying.
- 映画を見て泣きました。えいがをみてなきました。I cried watching the film.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 泣く. The rules are explained in Japanese verbs: the ます form.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary (plain) | 泣く なく | cry |
| Polite present | 泣きます なきます | cry |
| Polite negative | 泣きません なきません | don’t cry |
| Polite past | 泣きました なきました | past of “cry” |
| Plain negative (ない) | 泣かない なかない | don’t cry (casual) |
| Plain past (た) | 泣いた ないた | past of “cry” (casual) |
| て-form | 泣いて ないて | cry and… / please cry (+ください) |
| Want to (たい) | 泣きたい なきたい | want to cry |
Quick practice
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What does {{泣く}} mean?
How do you read {{泣く}}?
Which word means “to exist (people & animals)”?
Related words: Everyday verbs
登るto climb飛ぶto fly押すto push引くto pull運転するto drive踊るto danceあるto exist (things)いるto exist (people & animals)
FAQ
How do you say to cry in Japanese?
To cry in Japanese is 泣く (なく), pronounced “naku”.
How do you write to cry in Japanese?
It's written 泣く with kanji, or なく in hiragana. Both are read naku.
Is 泣く on the JLPT?
Yes. 泣く (naku) is a common word at JLPT N4 level, so it's worth learning early.