Japanese word

響く

Pronunciation

Romajihibiku

Meaning

  • verbecho

Example

大きな声が部屋に響きます。ō ki na koe ga heya ni hibi ki ma su

A loud voice echoes through the room.

Illustration for 響く (echo)

More examples

このホールでは、小さな声でも響きます。ko no hō ru de wa chii sa na koe de mo hibi ki ma su

Even a soft voice echoes in this hall.

Core concept

It expresses sound reaching beyond its source and lingering in the surrounding space.

Common phrases

  • 声が響くkoe ga hibi ku

    the voice echoes

  • 部屋に響くheya ni hibi ku

    echo through the room

  • 山に響くyama ni hibi ku

    echo through the mountains

Similar words

通るtōru: A voice or sound reaches listeners clearly across a distance.

Definition in Japanese

声や音が空間に広がって残り、聞く人に届く。koe ya oto ga kū kan ni hiro ga tte noko ri ki ku hito ni todo ku

Word origin

響く (hibiku) is a simple native Japanese verb recorded in earlier Japanese, while the kanji spelling uses 響 (kyō, "resound") because of the character's meaning.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 響く (hibiku) can describe a voice carrying from one room to another, so the meaning does not require a repeated sound.

Other meanings

  • carryverb

Related words

  • 響きhibikiresonancenoun
  • 響き方hibikikataway something soundsnoun
  • 響かせるhibikaserumake something resonateverb

Word lists with this word