泣く（なく）
JLPT N5 · Godan verb (Group 1)
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, stays high, no drop
Meaning: to cry
Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| masu-form (polite) | 泣きます | なきます |
| te-form | 泣いて | ないて |
| ta-form (past) | 泣いた | ないた |
| nai-form (negative) | 泣かない | なかない |
| potential form | 泣ける | なける |
See the full conjugation table for "泣く" →
Example sentences
- 悲しい映画を見て泣いてしまった。 — I ended up crying after watching a sad movie.
- 子供が大きな声で泣いている。 — The child is crying loudly.
Idioms & proverbs containing “泣く”
- 狐死して兎泣く (きつねししてうさぎなく) — people have sympathy for kindred in distress; (when) the fox dies, the rabbit cries
- 泣く子と地頭には勝てぬ (なくことじとうにはかてぬ) — you cannot win against someone who doesn't listen to reason; you can't fight City Hall
- 一銭を笑う者は一銭に泣く (いっせんをわらうものはいっせんになく) — take care of the penny; he who makes fun of one sen will cry at one sen
- 泣く子と地頭には勝てない (なくことじとうにはかてない) — you cannot win against someone who doesn't listen to reason; you can't fight City Hall
- 一円を笑う者は一円に泣く (いちえんをわらうものはいちえんになく) — take care of the penny; he who makes fun of one yen will cry at one yen
- 泣く子も黙る (なくこもだまる) — intimidating enough to quieten a crying child
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “泣く” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)