Japanese word

泣き声

Pronunciation

Romajinakigoe

Meaning

  • nouncry

Example

赤ちゃんの泣き声で目が覚めました。aka cha n no na ki goe de me ga sa me ma shi ta

I woke up to a baby's cry.

Illustration for 泣き声 (cry)

More examples

夜中に突然、子どもの泣き声が聞こえました。yo naka ni totsu zen ko do mo no na ki goe ga ki ko e ma shi ta

Suddenly, I heard a child's cry in the middle of the night.

Core concept

Describes the audible sound produced when a person or animal cries, rather than the act of crying itself.

Common phrases

  • 子どもの泣き声ko do mo no na ki goe

    a child's cry

  • 泣き声を上げるna ki goe o a ge ru

    let out a cry

  • 泣き声が響くna ki goe ga hibi ku

    a cry echoes

Definition in Japanese

泣くときに発する声。na ku to ki ni has su ru koe

Word origin

泣き声 (nakigoe) combines the verb stem 泣き (naki, "crying") with 声 (koe, "voice" or "sound").

Usage tips

  • In English, cry can also mean a shout or call, so a context involving a crying person or baby identifies the sense expressed by 泣き声 (nakigoe).

Other meanings

  • sobnoun
  • whinenoun

Word lists with this word